Category: Power Pop Review
Tamar Berk and Dan Kibler
Tamar Berk “tiny injuries”
Tamar is reinventing herself in tiny injuries as she moves from grief to acceptance following the death of her father. The opener “If U Know, U Know” has her soft vocal contrast with the loud guitar riffs, similar to Alanis Morissette or Aimee Mann. With a strong, catchy chorus and numerous layers of overdubbed guitars to give it weight, “Sunday Driving” is another powerful song. Some of the lyrics are profound and thought-provoking.
Next, Tamar’s lament “What’s Become of Me, my Friend” is about the constantly shifting emotions following a life-altering incident, and “Cash Out” explores similar quieter territory. Tamar’s compositional skill has also improved with the sophisticated “Permanent Vacation” and standout “Drop In The Bucket,” both multi-layered gems that beg repeat listens. The emotions in the songs are all heartfelt, not as raw as Start At The End, but this makes it a more balanced album. There’s not a weak track in the bunch, and plenty of gems make this highly recommended and worthy of my top ten albums list for 2023.
Dan Kibler “Idiomatic”
Pennsylvania native Dan Kibler was a singer-songwriter who was influenced by Neil Young and the Dwight Twilley Band. I haven’t heard much since the Capsule album in 1998, so this new project was a pleasant surprise. Dan started “Idiomatic” in 2019 with Michael Giblin (The Split Squad, Parallax Project) to serve as sound engineer and bass player, and Tom Kristich (The Jellybricks) was added on drums. The pandemic put a year-long hold on things but it was worth the wait.
Fans of Bill Lloyd and Twilley will enjoy this album, “This World” has a great anthemic chorus, and “Rail Me Down” has a great twangy guitar solo midway through the chugging verses. Dan plays that fine line between roots rock and power pop, as “See You There” boasts a confident strum, as does “Don’t Go For The Money” which focuses on finding happiness through creative endeavors. “Mystery Girl” is the closest you get to straight power pop, but what really compels you is Dan’s voice, both smooth and weary best shown in “Words.” Highly Recommended.
August EPs and singles: Pretty Flowers, Tracy Shedd, Tony Molina, Lemonade Shoelace, Elephant Stone, Råttanson
Salim Nourallah and Hurry
Salim Nourallah “A Nuclear Winter”
For Salim Nourallah, a songwriter and musician from Texas, “A Nuclear Winter” is his first full-length album since 2018. Nourallah worked with British guitarist, songwriter, and producer Marty Willson-Piper (The Church) on his 8th album. Nourallah here capitalizes on his world-weary vocal approach with this doomsday-themed album. Summer may still be here, but winter is coming.
The opener “Hazy Morning Glow” sets the stage, with financial disaster looming in each verse, it goes to a wonderfully catchy chorus “It’s just the way it is, yeah.” The instrumentation is sparse and lets Salim’s expressive vocals and composition do the work. Fans of Mark Oliver Everett (The Eels) will hear similarities in approach. Highlights include “Under Attack,” the mix of jangle and slide guitars on “I Don’t Know,” the Tom Pettyesque “The Sound of Suffering,” and “Invisible Man.” One tune that really resonated with me was “I Can’t Take Another Heartbreak.” Plenty of gems make this highly recommended.
Hurry “Don’t Look Back”
Proof that I often miss great music isn’t a surprise, but Don’t Look Back is the 5th record by Philly band Hurry. Hurry has always been a good jangle band, and lead singer Matt Scottoline’s songs are certainly catchy, and the opener “Didn’t Have To Try” proves this with its effortlessly infectious chorus with harmonies bathed across its guitar lines. Influences here include The Byrds, Teenage Fanclub, The Lemonheads, and The Gin Blossoms. Fans of Scotland’s Dropkick and The Boys with the Perpetual Nervousness will also love this album.
Scottoline’s lyrics and the emotional yearning for a failing relationship are also what makes these songs resonate so well. “Begging For You” and “Parallel Haunting,” as the latter asks “If you’re a ghost, and you’re not here, am I with you?” On “Something More,” Justin Fox’s lead guitar parts often crash through the strummed guitars, adding noise to the mix when the song needs to go epic. In some instances, the band feels constrained by its own limited theme and format. All the songs seem to be a gorgeous bummer, but things take a positive turn with “No Patience” and “The Punchline” with faster tempos and hope for starting something new. No filler here, and without a doubt highly recommended.
August singles and EPs: Tamar Berk, The UniBoys, The Evening Sons, Kai Danzberg, Pretty, Julez and the Rollerz