Caddy “Caddy”
Tomas Dahl, (The Stanleys, Yum Yums) who performs as Caddy, is back for his sixth studio album, and this self-titled LP is his hardest rocking one to date. It’s back to the late 90’s era Posies, Stone Temple Pilots, or Velvet Revolver with intense heavy riffs. In 2023, Tomas lost both parents and two close friends all within the span of five months. So those raw emotions are in each note here, but even with the emotion, he managed to keep the melodies up front.
“In A Heartbeat” has a solid catchy chorus and its soaring harmonies make it a great start. “The Darkest Corners” and “25 Ways” give detailed descriptions of the pain of loss, all with those handclaps and dense buzzing riffs. The hooks aren’t always present, and the lack of a stylistic variety tend to weigh down the album as whole. And as much as I love a great riff, sometimes less is more. For example “Smalltown Operator” has a good song buried in there, but the heavy loud rhythms drown it out. There are some worthy songs here; check out “Everblue,” “Why Worry,” and “Someone Like You.” In fact, there are enough good ones to make this highly recommended, but don’t expect any ballads.
The Toms “Rock Paper Scissors”
Tom Marolda has continued to make great music since his breakout debut from 1979 (a must-own for any respectable fan of power pop). His style has varied over the years, always experimenting, and trying new approaches. What hasn’t changed is the amazing creative approach Tom takes toward song composition and arranging.
“The Zebra” is the theme of cool slinky temptress, enticing men like predators to deceptive “prey.” The sound here is closer to his classic sound, and the wild bass line and key changes are all over the catchy “Stationary Bike.” From there it gets a little more experimental with the next few songs. I always find elements of a song I enjoy, but it might veer off into demo mode like the title track “Rock Paper Scissors” with its start-and-stop verses. Some songs require a lot of listens to stick.
There is always a power pop classic found on a Toms album, for me it was “It’s Personal” an earnest look back to a harmful relationship set to great hook. Other goodies include the excellent pop of “Desperate Measures,” with an ethereal break of Sheyla Sherif’s ghostly verses, and “Black & White” with its angular melody line and psyche-pop touches. For Toms fans this is definitely recommended, but others will definitely want to start with his debut. Definitely music that deserves to be heard.
