Rob Stuart continues his musical journey with Broken Promise Keeper’s fourth album “Poptimized.” I very much admired last year’s “Ice Cold Pop” and he picks up right where he left off. This is old school DIY power pop played with conviction, starting with “Scarred For Life” all the hallmarks are there (riffs, hand claps, melodic chorus). It leads seamlessly into the catchy beats and Trekkie lyrics of “Hyperdriven.” Next there are lots of layered instrumentation and vocals to highlight “Today I Do.” The lo-fi production tends to bury Rob’s vocal at times, despite the ambitious composition. The gem “We Pray For Rain” starts with a piano intro and turns into an early REM styled mid-tempo guitar tune.
The energetic “Sad But True” is a triumphant rocker that laments on the state of a dead marriage and it’s my favorite track here. Other tracks are pretty consistent, if a bit too similar sounding in the rhythm but there is enough here to keep things interesting. The legacy of the Athens, GA sound that made it “The Liverpool of the South” lives on here with Broken Promise Keeper.
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