Category: Top Ten of 2021 Candidate

Dolour and Teenage Fanclub

powerpopaholic
Dolour

Dolour “Televangelist”

Shane Tutmarc, multi-talented singer-songwriter of Seattle band Dolour has been busy during the pandemic and last year’s highly recommended Royal We album. The lockdown provided him plenty of time to develop this power-pop gem.

The opening title track is a catchy synth melody with influences from the late ‘70s ELO and Supertramp with its layered guitar rhythm, bells, and handclaps. Next, “It Would Be A Delight” directs energy to get away “instead of giving in to the doom and gloom.” Shanes smart vocal phrasing is brilliantly cheerful, and even the bouncy horns of “Summer Rain” speak to the open and easy-going time. The choral harmonies are clean and subtle, and “A Sight For Sore Eyes” is a great mid-tempo ballad, but it’s the positivity running through the album that draws you in. “Pick Up The Phone” is another highlight, with its strong hooks and as things gradually slow down, you get a full instrumental version of the entire LP. After a few listens, you realize how tightly composed, well-written and detailed each tune is. Highly Recommended and earns a nod for my best of 2021 list.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Teenage Fanclub

Teenage Fanclub “Endless Arcade”

Endless Arcade follows Teenage Fanclub’s 2016 album Here, an album that shows just how much the band has mellowed over the past 30 years. Bassist Gerard Love left the group in 2018, leaving Norman Blake (vocals) and Raymond McGinley (guitar) to hold up the fort. The infectious but relaxed sounds of “Home” call back to an earlier time, when an extended guitar jam was a common occurrence in a song (Steely Dan anyone?) but in 2020 it feels like a distinct statement. It’s a lot less “teenage” and more “old age” for this Fanclub.

The theme of bittersweetness is laid bare in the title track and the keyboards of Euro Childs add a nice twist to the traditional composition. “Warm Embrace” echoes the Mod-era sound of The Who, with great harmonies and strong drum support. The insecurity of “Everything Is Falling Apart” features a compelling rhythm, and the wistful “The Sun Won’t Shine On Me” is a recognition of age that’s beautifully done. Unfortunately, they don’t hit those high marks again. The repetitive themes of time on “Back In The Day” and “The Future” make these dudes sound older than The Moody Blues. Fans and completists will definitely embrace this, but it would be nice to have the band sustain enough energy for an entire album.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Cheap Trick and Chris Church

powerpopaholic
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?)

Amazon


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

Jon Flynn and The Sails

powerpopaholic
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

The Boys With Perpetual Nervousness and Aaron Lee Tasjan

powerpopaholic
The Boys With Perpetual Nervousness

The Boys With Perpetual Nervousness “Songs From Another Life”

Andrew Taylor has been doubling his output since this past summer, not only with his main band Dropkick, but his side project with Gonzalo Marcos aka The Boys With Perpetual Nervousness. Like the highly-rated debut, this new BWPN album is a continuation of catchy jangle-filled themes. It’s loaded with sticky pop hooks akin to Teenage Fanclub.

Opening with “I Don’t Mind” is a great start with a strong flowing tempo that ends just as you get into a groove, but even better is the Byrdsian guitar signature in “Play (On My Mind).” Each song is a gem, but some of my favorites include the sweet look back on “Rose Tinted Glass,” “Summer,” and “Lethargy.” Although many of the songs share a similar tempo (my only pet peeve here) there is enough distinction to prevent them from blending together.  Highly Recommended and a contender for my top 10 in 2021 list.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik


Aaron Lee Tasjan

Aaron Lee Tasjan “Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan!”

Nashville singer-songwriter Aaron Lee Tasjan is hard to pin down, and he likes it that way. “Sunday Women” is a deceptively simple song, a phrase repeated over and over, like a daydream. Then “Computer of Love” establishes an easy-going feeling before it launches into the catchy chorus “My little avatar/I’ll never know who you really are” all about casual dating and friendships on the internet. Echoes of Tom Petty are on “Up All Night” and Tasjan’s guitar actually emulates the sound of synths on “Don’t Overthink It.”

“Another Lonely Day” and “Feminine Walk” in some ways remind me of Bleu McAuley, with its acoustic bounce, and a multi-harmonic vocal. The melodic qualities and songwriting are top-notch. “Now You Know” is a confessional that just draws you in with just a vocal and bass line. A superb album that’s very inviting, and reveals more with every listen. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

Emperor Penguin, The Vapour Trails and The Hard Way

powerpopaholic
Emperor Penguin

Emperor Penguin “Corporation Pop!”

While this collection was created and released over the months of 2020, it’s a great selection of music to have complete in one album. “Talk To Me” the bouncy pop single (with Orbis Max) has echoes of the late ’80s in the rhythm. Another great collaboration is “Tuesday’s World” with the queen of power pop Lisa Mychols, featuring interwoven male-female harmonies in each verse. They bump up the tempo on the Star Trek inspired “Planet of Love.”

Emperor Penguin has proven to be a formidable talent, with a stylistic bend towards the ’60s psych-pop in many cases, like the jangling “Maserati” or the gentle harmonies in the wonderfully melodic “Hell in a Handcart.” Other than a lite synth track at the end, there isn’t a note of filler here and it’s a highly recommended album.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik


The Vapour Trails

The Vapour Trails “Underneath Tomorrow” EP

Aberdeen-based psych-pop band The Vapour Trails are a talented group of musicians whose style emulates The Byrds, The Hollies, and Buffalo Springfield. The first few songs of this EP are loaded with hooks, “Tommy’s Tune” is just an infectious melody that sticks very quickly. “Underneath Tomorrow” and “That’ll Do It” has excellent guitar work, and fans of The Grip Weeds and Outrageous Cherry will love it. “Autumn & Spring” and “Good Morning Maudlin Town” have a lighter pop touch, all produced, mixed, and mastered by Nick Bertling. Fans of retro pop should check this out. Highly Recommended.

Bandcamp only


The Hard Way

The Hard Way “New to You” EP

Matt Wilczynski’s musical collective (aka The Hard Way) is made up of Matt on vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard, and drums with a rotating cast of musicians and friends to round out the sound – which takes influences from The Beatles, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, and The Doobie Brothers.

It’s the meticulous craftsmanship and production that you will notice right away. The opener “Walls & Bridges” starts with a slide guitar intro and Matt’s soulful vocal, then the Beatlesque harmonies in the chorus hit you. The guitar solo is Duane Allman-like in approach and simply great. “Note To Self” adds a smooth backing vocal chorus with a piano verse, and some impressive songwriting. “Open Cage” and the instrumental “Worm Underground” adds some of that Joe Perry-styled hard rock sound, and with the latter track, it’s got some funky keys and horns. “Sunshine” is an acoustic blend in the Doobie Brothers tradition and I’m proud to list this as a top ten EP for 2021. It was even reviewed by Ben Folds! In his words “Excellence everywhere…” Super Highly Recommended.

Amazon