Joel Streeter “Matador”
Bay Area singer-songwriter Joel Streeter is a true pop talent that continues his growth on the sophomore album “Matador.” The sound is similar to Chris Stamey or Paul McCartney building classic pop compositions through a dense wall-of-sound approach. He is assisted by over a dozen players including producer Jerry Becker (Train) to make this a highly polished effort. The hooks are all over the title track and the use of horns to support “Drive Away” bring to mind Squeeze. The mid-tempo songs “Baby Your Time’s Here Too” and “A Better Day” both have great Beatlesque melody and hooks in the chorus that don’t quit. Another highlight here is the piano bounce on “Man Of The Hour” where the guitar rhythm mimics “It’s Getting Better” prior to the rich chorus and the orchestral break in the songs middle. The multi-layered vocal harmonies on “Like A Bird In A Gilded Cage” recall early Crowded House. Fans of Jim Boggia, Marshall Crenshaw and the other artists mentioned will really enjoy this album. Not a bad track in the bunch, and plenty of memorable gems make it easy to recommend.
Adrienne Pierce “Oh Deer”
Canadian Adrienne Pierce has a very distinct vocal that gets your attention. It’s a mesmerizing combination of Edie Brickell and Blossom Dearie that draws you in. She’s written music for TV (Grey’s Anatomy, Veronica Mars) and this is her third full length album. It’s safe to classify her as folk pop, and the opening “Amargosa Hotel” has the guitar twang and dreamy quality often found on Sheryl Crow’s work. The same feeling on “Black Sand” carries through, with a catchy beat to contrast her multi-tracking here. The storylike ballads like “Monsters” and “Arc De Triomphe” are soulful and effective. My favorite track though is the bouncy “Guilty of Everything” with a sweet melody and seductive confessions in the lyric. However, other tracks here seem self-indulgent (“Telescope”) or are just too sparse (“Nightswimming”), so you may want to pick and choose the keepers here.