Chris Lund “Indian Summer”
Chris Lund (Lund Brothers) releases his sophomore LP after the highly acclaimed debut Great Event Syndrome. Lund’s style is certainly an updated take on late 20th-century rock tropes. “Everything Is Fine” uses everything and the kitchen sink with key shifts, harmonies, and hooks, and the title track “Indian Summer” and “Mary Jane” are catchy throwbacks to The Raspberries and Badfinger. Lund’s skillful guitar leads each tune with gusto and melodic brilliance.
The songs vary in quality after the first three, but the universal themes of girls, groupies, and angst are common themes. The fantastic “Down The Line” would’ve been perfectly at home on a Van Halen album. “Please Me” is a well-written ode to the misunderstood high school dropout, with a soulful guitar break over an acoustic rhythm. Overall, a great album that power pop & guitar fans will really appreciate. Highly Reccomended.
Mo Troper “MTV”
Much like last year’s Dilettante, Portland’s Mo Troper likes to capture pop songs spontaneously and often in “demo” form. He takes a catchy bedroom hook on the opener “Between You and Me” and buries it beneath layers of fuzz and percussive distortion. “I’m the King of Rock and Roll” is a little clearer, and says more about his state with its fine guitar solo. “Waste Away” is another quick pop gem that sticks.
But there is more experimentation here, and while dark self-humor is there (i.e. “The Only Living Goy in New York”) it often is at the expense of listenability (“Royal Jelly,” “Coke Zero”). Using a chipmunk vocal filter sometimes helps (“I Fall Into Her Arms,” “No More Happy Songs”) but its charm wears off quickly. The unintelligible “Power Pop Chat” and “Final Lap” make it more of an art statement, and that’s where you’ll either love it or hate it. Still, Mo’s talent shines through each raw unpolished nugget. It’s music that deserves to be heard.
