Category: Top Ten of 2011 Candidate

Fountains of Wayne have returned and its powerhouse songwriting duo of Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger are in fine form this summer. I cannot name a band that does a better job at mixing descriptive character studies with irresistible melodies. They run out of the gate with “The Summer Place” a delicious theme punctuated by a western-style riff after the chorus. Next comes the hilarious “Richie and Ruben,” a true FOW classic that begs to be sung along to.

The band seems more energized here, they don’t seem to be following any musical trend and are very comfortable in their hook-filled skins. Every song sticks, but exceptional songs included here are “Someone’s Gonna Break Your Heart” and “A Dip In The Ocean” full of fast paced rhythms and the ever shimmering tambourine. It’s hard to argue that this isn’t the best FOW album since the classic Welcome Interstate Managers. It shift gears slightly towards the albums middle with the country shuffle of “A Road Song” and “Workingman’s Hands.” And ends with the slow dances of “Firelight Waltz” and the solemn “Cemetery Guns.” Honestly, did you expect anything less? Neither did I.

Native New Yorker, Freddy Monday is an experienced songwriter/performer that’s done tons of work for TV and film. He’s got a great knack for compelling melodies that will remind many of McCartney or Willy Wisely. Opening with “Give Me Your Heart” it builds to multi-guitar tracked chorus, full of nice jangling details. Its followed by “Please” with a roots based rhythm, but the chords of the chorus burst forth and makes it pure magic. A tinkling piano starts the atmospheric “Rain All Day” on one of the happiest songs about a downpour ever.

In fact, every track shines bright and grows on you quickly. “Another Memory” is yet another bouncy gem guaranteed to get your toe tapping. It gets a bit more rock oriented on “She’s A Teaser” and “Fracture” is a beautiful ballad Macca would definitely approve of. Things get looser and laid back on the albums latter tracks, which is fine. One of the best debuts this year, and a refreshing slice of pop not to be missed.

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The Michigan based Tally Hall produced a stunning debut album that garnered quite a cult following. With that initial success behind them, the band sets out to solidify their sound with this duality-themed album. The slow march tempo of “Never Meant To Know” leads to a quickly layered anthem that just grows on you. The next tune “&” is very much in the They Might Be Giants mold, lyrically stating opposites like “weak & strong, wet & dry, etc.” Then the album kicks into high gear with the ear worm “You & Me,” a catchy single you’ll sing long after the song ends.

The combination of catchy chorus and lyrical metaphor is Tally Halls’ greatest strength. Each song here is meticulously constructed, the strongest and most immediate being “Cannibal,” where the metaphorical beast is your girlfriend. The solid harmonies lead a hummable medieval quest called “Sacred Beast” quite nicely. The album takes a moody harmonic turn on “Hymn for A Scarecrow,” a tale that features a psychedelic chorus on the fadeout. The group’s harmonies are strong on each song, especially on “The Trap” and “Out In The Twilight.” The dramatic finale “Fate Of The Stars” is a bit like a rock version of Glee’s Dalton Academy Warblers if Roger Waters was their musical director. Overall, this album demands repeat listens to uncover the brilliant melodies and stories contained here. It makes my top ten list being the most cerebral melodic album this year.

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The duo of Seth Swirsky and Mike Ruekberg return after their amazingly popular 2007 debut. The bands British Invasion style is intact, with the addition of Swirsky’s maturing themes he explored so well in his solo work from last year, Watercolor Day.

“Caught in the Middle” picks you up with a note perfect Beatlesque rocker full of Rickenbacker jangle. Mike’s “As Far as Yesterday Goes” is a wistful ballad, done in a lounge style with solid hook in the bridge. Seth’s “Picture” floats on by, light as cloud with gorgeous harmonies like sweet sunshine. “Girl, Dont” brings back the Merseybeat mid-tempo goodness. The shimmering keys open on “Easier” describes a long term relationship and is one of the best tracks on the album, with lots of 70’s stylistic touches… much like the late great Andrew Gold. And that’s where the Red Button goes, from the memorable “On A Summer Day” with solid horns playing off the piano theme during the chorus. “She Grows Where She’s Planted” mesmerizes with a break full of backwards guitars a la “Rain,” its a perfect example of using a Beatles technique without making the song sound like an homage. “Genevieve” is another example of this more mature song style without losing any of its melodicism.

Sonically this album flawless, without a loose note and does the near impossible of topping the debut. So far this is the album to beat this year, as it quickly  takes a top spot in my top ten albums of 2011.

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The Turnback is the talents of Todd Giglio (vocals, guitar and keyboards), Kenny Sherman (vocals, guitar, bass) and Barry Nagel (drums, guitars, keyboards). Drawing inspiration from numerous power pop sources, the album is the primary soundtrack for the film “Drawing With Chalk,” an acclaimed independent film by Giglio about the lifelong pursuit of a career in film and music (view trailer here).

The unmistakable jangle and beat opens up “Beyond Belief” and it is very similar to the Spongetones, with crisp harmonies and solid melody lines in a Beatlesque vein.  The next several songs are excellent, “Over and Out of My Head” is full of seamless hooks and the folk-rock harmonies shine on “Outside Again.” Things only slow down a bit with the falsetto-laden “We Become.” But this is a minor hiccup, as the strong timeless compositions make each of these songs memorable. The style isn’t static either, as it gets heavier on “Love Like Bombs,” and lighter on the ballads like “One Day You’ll Be Rich.”

There is no filler here, and all twelve tracks are meticulously crafted to require repeated listens. Also notable is the clean production by Grammy Award winning engineer Jeff Peters (Beach Boys, Brian Setzer, Goldspot) and mastered by Joe Gastwirt (Tom Petty, Talking Heads, Pearl Jam). The album has already won many honors, so to be redundant I am proud to add this to our Top Ten List for 2011.