Sloan “Steady”
On their 13th album, Sloan retains its title as the best indie power pop band left standing. The Canadian quartet has a career that spans over 40 years, and “steady” not only describes the band’s lineup but also its consistent stylistic approach. The chugging guitar on “Magical Thinking” starts us off, with hooks a plenty and a “ba-ba-ba” chorus. Then we launch into the catchy rocker “Spend The Day” a song that’s defined Sloan’s sound for years with a wicked guitar break, and it leads right into the gentle harmonies and handclaps of Jay Ferguson’s “She Put Up With What She Put Down.” Each song leaves an impression, and the album gets even better the further along we go.
Chris Murphy’s “Human Nature” is a brilliant piano-based song about our love of gossip. But what’s amazing is how the band can take Beatlesque elements and make it totally their own, my favorite track here is “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” a dreamy Rickenbacker riff based on “Day Tripper” – it’s an instant classic. Not a weak track to be found, and without a doubt (like their 2018 opus 12) this easily gets added to my top ten list for 2022.
Richard X. Heyman “67,000 Miles An Album”
For many years Richard X. Heyman was the original power pop DIY, one man band, and even though he branched off playing with The Doughboys several years ago, he remains a singularly unique songwriting talent. 67,000 miles an hour refers to the speed of the earth as it moves in orbit around the sun. RXH goes through a variety of styles here, but he starts off with an absolute gem “You Can Tell Me,” full of harmonies and sweet chord progressions. The rich horns of “Misspent Youth” goes through visions of his life in New York, and “Traveling Salesman” is a garage rocker with a distinct riff.
With 18 tracks you’ll find plenty of great songs here like “Crave,” a bouncy rocker with synth keys and pounding drums, and the mature hooks on “When The New Dawn Comes.” The soulful vocals of the mid-tempo ballad “Plans” are another highlight. Sometimes RXH finds a musical idea, like “Ready For A Fall” with its stylized harmonies, but it doesn’t quite work. However, enough tracks do work and that makes it highly recommended in my book.
