Jon Flynn “Citrus”
Jon Flynn goes solo as his band Diamond Hands preps for a new LP. While the overt-retro influences are toned down, Jon proves a fine singer-songwriter in the tradition of Marc Bolan, Liam Gallagher, or Gaz Coombes. Starting with “Somewhere to Run,” it features a laid-back Brit pop rhythm and a sneering lead. And the hooks are in abundance with a modern flair with “Go On” and the catchy breakup song “Back To You,” as Flynn finds his melodic sweet spot.
While it’s a slow build, the song “Praying Man” is worth it as Flynn builds this blues pop burner to perfection with great harmonies. The best thing about Citrus is that it never loses steam and his compositions get better the more you listen to them. The moods shift from the strutting beat of “Wonderful” to the power-pop bounce of “Doin’ What You Do.” And while most of this music is subdued and dark, it shines a light on Flynn’s talent and range as an artist. Highly Recommended.
The Sails “Bang!: The Sails Best of 2006 to 2020”
Lots of great music “sails” under the radar and most readers of this site recognize this. One criminally underrated band is The Sails (multi-instrumentalist Michael Gagliano,) a UK retro artist who wears his 60’s influences on his sleeve. “BANG!” And “The Slow Down” showcases the Merseybeat and Pysch-pop skills, but the collection of songs gets better the further along we go.
“The Man Who Broke In Half” is like a lost James Bond movie theme, full of great thematic elements, and the jangling Beatlesque gems “In My Head” and “Peter Shilton” keep building excitement with each chorus. The retro greatness continues throughout each of these 15 tracks. There is enough of a modern sound update to “Chocolate” where both the classic composition and buzz guitars deliver power pop perfection. “I’m Only Bleeding” cribs The Beatles “Rain” but updates it in several ways. And it ranked #1 “Coolest Song of The Year” on Little Steven’s influential “Underground Garage” for 2010, and “Liar” ranking #2 in 2011. A great collection that should not be missed! Highly Recommended.
