Category: Power Pop Review

Cheap Trick and Chris Church

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Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick “In Another World”

What else can I say about the longest-living power pop band? These guys have nothing to prove on their 20th album, so I will gloss over the fact that the album cover’s generic checkerboard style didn’t thrill me (even though it’s a Nielsen trademark). And at first, it seems the band is just going through the motions. But as we’ve mentioned before, Rick, Robin, Tom, and Daxx haven’t lost a step and they sound like they are really having fun here.

 “The Summer Looks Good On You” hits you between the eyes as a big hook-filled theme designed to be played loud. This is followed by the bouncy keys of “Quit Waking Me Up,” a cheery song clearly meant to lift the spirits of the COVID weary. “Another World” has those majestic qualities that make a Cheap Trick power ballad unique, and then comes the 80’s styled hard rock throwback “Boys & Girls & Rock N Roll.” Rick Nielsen proves resourceful with the catchy riffs on “The Party” and “Light Up The Fire.” Added highlights include “Here’s Looking at You,” and a cover of John Lennon’s “Gimme Some Truth.” Highly Recommended (what else?)

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Chris Church

Chris Church “Game Dirt”

North Carolina’s Chris Church follows up his rocking Backwards Compatible with a more personal album. His Big Stir label debut features songs that are short and sweet, but like a 12-year old’s stream of consciousness, it zig-zags all over the place. A great example of this is on “Falderal” where the melody shifts with each key change, and then it’s over. “Fall” sets the stage with an oppressive minor key as Chris sings about setting unrealistic expectations. The one-word song titles are clever, showing a subtle emotional progression.

There are some real gems are here, the blues-oriented “Lost,” catchy lead riff on “Hang,” and the majestic piano-guitar combo on “Sunrise.” Some of it gets lost in the mix as the percussion dominates some tunes too much (“Trying”) and the sound is akin to Matthew Sweet mixed with The Gin Blossoms at times. Still, a mighty fine album that deserves to be heard.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Singles and EPs: Dany Laj, The Foreign Films, Jim Trainor, The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club, Super 8, David Woodard, Rob Kovacs

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April has been a monster month for music. The pent-up output from artists can no longer be held back and a flurry of singles and EPs are here now. Dany Laj and The Looks have a new single and a new sound, with a pop-folk spin. The new album Ten Easy Pieces is expected on June 11, 2021. Bill Majoros is back with The Foreign Films’ new single “The Fortune Teller (Pretty in the City),” a sweet mid-tempo love song, with little ELO flourishes.  Meanwhile, Jim Trainor and The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club put the power into their pop singles, with the latter “Tremor Control II” oozing Queen-like cool and Glam rhythm. Paul Ryan (aka Super 8) gives us a very John Lennonesque ballad “All My Worries” and David Woodward‘s new EP Butterfly Effect is a sharply written gem with highlights like “About New York” and “Ghosts.” Rob Kovacs is not power pop, but a pianist with a great pop sensibility. Check out “Fizzle” with its light vocals,  the pastoral “Momentary Bliss,” and the artistry of “Here In The Future.”








Jon Flynn and The Sails

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Ex Norwegian and Friends

Jon Flynn “Citrus”

Jon Flynn goes solo as his band Diamond Hands preps for a new LP. While the overt-retro influences are toned down, Jon proves a fine singer-songwriter in the tradition of Marc Bolan, Liam Gallagher, or Gaz Coombes. Starting with “Somewhere to Run,” it features a laid-back Brit pop rhythm and a sneering lead. And the hooks are in abundance with a modern flair with “Go On” and the catchy breakup song “Back To You,” as Flynn finds his melodic sweet spot.

While it’s a slow build, the song “Praying Man” is worth it as Flynn builds this blues pop burner to perfection with great harmonies. The best thing about Citrus is that it never loses steam and his compositions get better the more you listen to them. The moods shift from the strutting beat of “Wonderful” to the power-pop bounce of “Doin’ What You Do.” And while most of this music is subdued and dark, it shines a light on Flynn’s talent and range as an artist. Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik


The Sails

The Sails “Bang!: The Sails Best of 2006 to 2020”

Lots of great music “sails” under the radar and most readers of this site recognize this. One criminally underrated band is The Sails (multi-instrumentalist Michael Gagliano,) a UK retro artist who wears his 60’s influences on his sleeve. “BANG!” And “The Slow Down” showcases the Merseybeat and Pysch-pop skills, but the collection of songs gets better the further along we go.

“The Man Who Broke In Half” is like a lost James Bond movie theme, full of great thematic elements, and the jangling Beatlesque gems “In My Head” and “Peter Shilton” keep building excitement with each chorus. The retro greatness continues throughout each of these 15 tracks. There is enough of a modern sound update to “Chocolate” where both the classic composition and buzz guitars deliver power pop perfection. “I’m Only Bleeding” cribs The Beatles “Rain” but updates it in several ways. And it ranked #1 “Coolest Song of The Year” on Little Steven’s influential “Underground Garage” for 2010, and “Liar” ranking #2 in 2011. A great collection that should not be missed! Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Star Collector and Ken Sharp

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Star Collector

Star Collector “Game Day”

First of all, this is NOT the Joe Giddings band from the 1990s, but a new band out of Vancouver, BC with a sound that’s sure to warm the heart of most power pop fans. Opening with “Game Day” its got strong guitar riffs (and a Big Star progression) and an authentic wail from vocalist Vic Wayne and guitarist Steve Monteith. Fans of The Who and Sloan will love this.

“Rip It Off” comes next and the buzzing jangle sells it, as its namedrops some famous song titles. But this original song rips off no one–and it’s a compelling rocker. “The Silent Type” is another guitar-hero theme, with some well-done rock harmonies. Some of the tunes run a little long, but the crunchy goodness of songs like “Cayenne & Caramel,” and “Green Eyes” make it worth it. Definitely, highly recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Ken Sharp

Ken Sharp “Miniatures”

Ken Sharp has been on a sunshine pop kick with recent singles, so here he shares a collection of 32 short songs and snippets. It’s a good way for an artist to get out a lot of material, and for listeners with ADD it’s perfect. The tunes are mostly baroque melodies, featuring Ken’s distinct twee vocal. Highlighted melodies include “Day In, Night In” and the gentle “Lorelei.” Some personal anecdotes like “Stack O Records” and “Word of Wonder” would sound great with a little more development (and bass).

The musical treacle might wear out its welcome for some people. But I found lots of charm with “My Lullaby,” “Perfect Sun,” “Clara Baby,” “Somethings Happening,” and the Beatlesque “4am.” In many ways, the music also reminds me of obscure British toytown pop from the late ’60s. Overall, fascinating and worth exploring.

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Easter Eggs: Singles and Covers Galore

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A great bunch of freebies for Easter Sunday. GTG Records sampler with a ton of deep covers from Michigan bands performing select songs by artists they love. The beauty of this is I have not heard of any of these artists before, but they sound great. And the tracks are new discoveries for the most part. Kai Danzberg is also back with a new bossa nova beat on “Only You,” and how I wish I was somewhere tropical. Plus a sweet cover single of Manfred Mann from Cult Stars From Mars, and Rich McCulley delivers a country-pop ballad that hooks you immediately. The Weeklings are also back with a timely “April’s Fool” and Brett Newski gets BNL singer Steven Page to contribute to a snappy gem. Swedish duo Vola Tila’s “I Need My Girl” is a brooding and atmospheric single that makes its mark. I will keep my eye out for these guys. Finally, Reaction‘s single “Keep Movin’ (Don’t Stop)” has a very early 1980s vibe, and similar to the B-52s “Love Shack.”