The Legal Matters “Chapter Three”
There are very few artists I know that consistently come out with great music (Nick Piunti and Sloan are good examples) and The Legal Matters is one of them. The Legal Matters is essentially a supergroup, featuring Andy Reed, Chris Richards, and Keith Klingensmith. In Chapter Three, the band’s songwriting takes center stage, as the sound is pretty nailed down with crisp, perfect harmonies akin to America or late-era Beach Boys. At their most dynamic, the melodic “Light Up The Sky” is everything that makes The Legal Matters a power-pop powerhouse. “Independence Well Spent” is a Jellyfish-like study in contrast of light and dark moments in the instrumentation, and “The Painter” is about creativity and inspiration within the mind of the artist and it features some great hooks in the chorus.
Brilliant uplifting music is the band’s stock-in-trade, but they don’t stay in that lane. “Pain” is a challenging ballad, written from a unique point of view where “I need the pain to know I’m alive.” Another highlight is the bouncy “Please Make a Sound,” with a compelling, urgent chorus. They go off-script again for “The World Is Mine” and it plays like a perfect stage villain theme, it’s not overtly political but you get all the clues in the lyrics. Not a note of filler, but the challenging nature of some songs further expands the band’s stylistic range. The songwriting process itself is the subject of “A Memory of Sound” chock full of sonic goodies, and it ends with the angelic harmonies of “Passing Chord.” Highly Recommended and another predictable top ten pick for best album of 2021.
Your Academy “Your Academy”
Jonny Norris, bassist for Memphis power-pop band Crash into June reconnected with guitarist Chris Gafford and drummer Dan Shumake, both of whom were spending time with the most recent reincarnation of The Scruffs. After agreeing to play together again they recruited lead singer Brandon McGovern, who recently toured with Dwight Twilley. Guitarist Adam Hill, a bandmate of Brandon and Big Star Archivist joined as the final member of the group. Their goal was nothing less than the resurrection of Memphis power pop glory.
While Your Academy boasts a lot of talent and a fine pedigree the opener “Why Don’t We?” is fairly generic, sounding like the Gin Blossoms mixed with The Well Wishers. “Heaven Knows” is a better tune, and namedrops a lot of musicians from “Chris Bell” to “Guided By Voices,” plus it’s got a solid hook. The Big Star influence is felt on “Sunrise,” and “Better Alone Together” is about Alex Chilton’s relationship with Lesa Aldridge. The songs seem to check all the boxes (ringing guitars, driving melodies) but they don’t really stick in your head for long. A solid standout; “Talent Party” is a great tune about Memphis garage bands of the 1960s (with more music trivia in the lyric). “Bluff City,” boasts strong guitar work and drumming, and “Our Love Matters (TCB)” is a little pandemic-inspired song with a Lucky Charms reference. Some of the production here also feels a little too compressed and could’ve been expanded more (like on “Sunrise.”) Overall, a good album that deserves to be heard.
