Pop Co-Op “Suspension”
The quartet of Steve Stoeckel (Spongetones), Bruce Gordon, Stacy Carson, and Joel Tinnel continue the experiment known as Pop Co-Op. The flowing psych-pop of the opening title track “Suspension” is almost like a “loosen-up” session, and the single “I Just Love to Watch Her Dance” takes hold, with a delicate opening, and then launches into the fast-paced verses. The jangle and harmonies are lovely on “Air Heart” and euro-rhythmic “Out My Window” are early highlights.
The band tries a few different approaches to prevent predictability, and sometimes it doesn’t quite work (“Run and Hide”). But more often, the band hits the right notes, and the inventive “Unquestionably I-95,” Why Didn’t We?” and “Always In The Past” all channel the bandmembers frustrations with regrets and lost opportunities. The music succeeds on many levels and doesn’t always rely on those McCartney-like musings of age (“The Odd One.”) Overall, highly recommended.
Buzz Clic Adventure with Phil Seymour “California”
Buzz Clic (aka Elmer Charles Brandt Jr.) was a friend of the late great Phil Seymour (Dwight Twilley Band) and in 1991 the duo had a self-released album that remained a little-heard rarity. A few years later, Seymour died of cancer and this album was eventually released on Smog Veil Records, but again it disappeared. Thanks to the archival label Wizzard In Vinyl, the album is back with several bonus tracks.
Buzz adds his punk instrumentation to an overblown 90’s hair metal style on the opener “Lonely One,” and thankfully over the next several tracks more melodic tunes like “Sunsets In Blue” and “Baby Baby Baby” appear. Seymour seems to be having fun on the classic “Tallahassee Lassie” but most of the tracks are very average sounding or worse. The bonus tracks aren’t much better, even with Twilley guesting on “Don’t Lead Me On.” Recommended for Seymour/Twilley completists only.
