Labradors “The Great Maybe”
Three-piece powerpop/rock band from Milano, Italy have their second full length album out and it’s an impressive production. The quiet acoustic guitar ballad “I Won’t Let Anyone Hurt You” is a gentle poem to a “delicate creature” with dramatic swelling strings. The title track then swirls with guitars and drums similar in feel to Sloan or Weezer with harmonies in the chorus. “Jasmine” is even a touch harder, with lead Fabrizio Fusi sounding like Evan Dando here, and a nice bass guitar lead.
It quiets down considerably after this, but “Terrible Friend” is a heart-felt rocker about a mate who can’t get sober, and “All I Have Is My Heart” does the quiet verse-loud chorus thing quite nicely and both are winners. The cat lovers theme “Paws” is another gem that will put a smile on your face for sure. Overall, the songs here are solid power pop and most of them are very good. Highly Recommended.
The Wild Feathers “The Wild Feathers”
Austin band The Wild Feathers is something both old and new. Ricky Young, Joel King, Taylor Burns, Preston Wimberly, and Ben Dumas grew up steeped in music – playing solo gigs, touring with local bands and working at venues. The guys came together in Austin in 2010 through coincidence, mutual friends, and a shared love of classic alt-country and southern rock. The young band spent the following year writing and reshaping their sound before heading into the studio to record with producer Jay Joyce (Cage the Elephant, Emmylou Harris).Their debut has a great mix of power pop and modern country music in parts with its dense, layered production.
