Gretchen’s Wheel and The Elastic Band

powerpopaholic
Gretchen's Wheel

Gretchen’s Wheel “Black Box Theory”

Nashville singer-songwriter Lindsay Murray’s gentle vocals always work best with a contrasting guitar riff. On last year’s Sad Scientist it was done quite effectively. The new album Black Box Theory was mastered by studio wiz Andy Reed and mixed by Nick Bertling (drums, guitar, synths). Without the additional players from her last album (Fernando Perdomo, Ken Stringfellow, etc.) this feels more like a personal statement for Lindsay.

The riffs get heavier and Murray’s tone is noticeably more serious, almost resigned as “Untethered” states “guess it never hurts to try / except when it does.“ The melodies on “Plans” and “Funny Thing” are compelling enough, but even the engaging jangle on “The Maze” is permeated with negativity as she intones “you’re too far gone to start again.” It almost feels like she’s channeling Aimee Mann at her most gloomy. She stays mostly in the lower vocal register, but at the very end in “Something’s Coming” we get a glimmer of hope. While overall its musically very good, the songs tend to homogeneously bleed into one another, and it isn’t until “Imp” we get a change in tempo. I hope we get something a little more uplifting on the next album. Still, fans may disagree and dig it.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

The Elastic Band

The Elastic Band “Fun, Fun, Fun”

Sometimes I find something so different and weird — it catches my attention even if it really isn’t power pop. The Elastic Band is from Granada, Spain and the music project of Pablo Román and María Sánchez. Using an electric mandolin and analog synths, old school 50’s sampling, they make small bedroom styled pop sound big.

The playful opener “All Its Done” is pleasing, if unintelligible with Pablo’s thick accent. Like a Euro mash-up of pop strings and playful percussion “BaRRy W” mentions Barry White but sure as hell doesn’t sound like him (even if it does get your feet moving!). “CalyPso” sounds like the Addams family harpsichord mixed with ELO-styled overdubbing. It’s definitely both fun and disorienting as it cycles through 13 tracks. If you dare for something different, give this a spin.

Amazon

Ruler and Smash Palace

powerpopaholic
Tommy Lorente

Ruler “Winning Star Champion”

Ruler is the project of Seattle-based singer and songwriter Matt Batey, a seasoned veteran of Seattle’s music scene. The debut full-length album Winning Star Champion starts with “Petrified” a song about dealing with anxiety about the future punctuated by a strong beat and strong layered vocals in the chorus. The title track is another ode to self-doubt and fear of failure set to a catchy indie rock chorus.

The production and composition of the first 4 tunes are all very strong, “Cars and Houses” is another standout single with a buzzing riff about travel on the road. The style is modern indie rock, and it reminded me of Paul Westerberg’s early solo work, especially when we get to the jangling melody on “Unhindered Pace.” Matt manages to shift gears to mid-tempo effectively on “The Cure” and I didn’t hear any filler here. Overall, Ruler is an impressive new talent who’s highly recommended.

Amazon

Smash Palace

Smash Palace “Right As Rain” EP

Philly brothers Stephen and Brian Butler are once again joined by longtime bandmates Fran Smith Jr. on bass and drummer David Uosikkinen (of the Hooters) and Cliff Hillis on guitar and Wally Smith on keyboards. And just like that, Smash Palace returns with another EP that’s just as tight as Some Kind of Magic.

It starts with the jangling “It Happened To Me” as it lays down a memorable chorus and “Love Light Shining” is like a lost McCartney single. It adds a little Americana on “Heart of A Loving Man” as a message to your girl to “come back home,” with a smooth guitar solo during the break. The finale “Love Surrounds You Now” is an epic melody that echoes Tom Petty with some great harmonies. Don’t miss this one, it’s highly recommended!

Amazon | CD Baby

Guest Review: The Eagles “The Eagles”

powerpopaholic
The Eagles

The Eagles are undoubtedly among the most iconic American rock bands. Even though members have come and gone, and the band has suffered the untimely passing of two of its founders—Glen Frey and Randy Meisner—the music still stands the test of time. 

Their debut, self-titled album, with its impressively-diverse track listing, made it clear that this was a band that was here to stay. And now, 46 years after its release, it’s due a re-listening and its own Power Pop Review. The story of how The Eagles were recorded is also the stuff of musical legend. The foursome made a pilgrimage to Olympic Studios in London to record their debut with iconic producer Glyn Johns; however, they weren’t expecting the strict zero-tolerance policy Johns had adopted in his studio. “Bored out of their skulls” with their new, monastic lifestyle, the band became avid poker fans and even went so far as to perfect their own version of the game: Eagle Poker!

The album became an immediate critical and commercial success upon its release and made full use of the combined extraordinary talents of the four founding band members: Glen Frey, Bernie Leadon, Randy Meisner and Don Henley. In fact, each band member shared songwriting and lead vocals across several of the tracks. The album’s sound, which is a mixture of pop rock, folk, and country, was in turn influenced by the emerging scene in Los Angeles, led by bands like Poco. 

By today’s standards, the band and this album came together in a surprisingly short amount of time. However, it still sounds exceptionally polished and very mature. Album-opener “Take It Easy” sets the standard for the rest of the tracks. Although fairly simple in its construction, it’s the memorable lyrics (co-written with Jackson Browne) and rich harmonies that make this track the gem that it is. 

The other two singles, “Peaceful, Easy Feeling” and “Witchy Woman”, peaked at number 22 and number 9 on the charts, respectively, and they serve to showcase yet more diversity in sound, arrangement, and nuanced songwriting. “Witchy Woman”, which was co-written by Don Henley (who also performed lead vocals on the track) and Bernie Leadon, is aptly mysterious, whereas “Peaceful, Easy Feeling” is a sublime, country-flavored acoustic ballad composed by Jack Tempchin, who would go on to become a favorite collaborator of the band.  “Chug All Night” and the Meisner-led “Most of Us Are Sad” have drawn their fair share of criticism over time.  Repeated listening also draws to the forefront some forgotten classics, such as “Take the Devil” (composed and performed by Meisner) and the Neil Young-esque “Train Leaves Here this Morning”. Then there’s “Earlybird”, which is possibly the most experimental track on the album, with its heavy banjo, wild guitars and bird whistles!

All in all, The Eagles still sounds as fresh as the day it was recorded. This remarkably self-assured debut has been a favorite among fans worldwide for over four decades, and it will no doubt continue to have a place in people’s hearts for at least another 40. 

Michael Rault and Daisy House

powerpopaholic
Michael Rault

Michael Rault “It’s A New Day Tonight”

Toronto musician Michael Rault has a great knack for solid ’70s riffs and classic power pop style. Opening with some nice guitar work on “I’ll Be There” it’s like a glorious mix of Badfinger and T-Rex. The careful arrangements and simple structure allow Rault’s melodies to come through. The album takes its inspiration from the act of sleeping and dreaming. “Sleep With Me” is like a lost Emmit Rhodes single with fuzz rhythm guitar, lush harmonies, and a sweeping string section.

“Oh Clever Boy” is McCartney styled gem, and the pace slows up on “Sitting Still” although the neat bassline makes that tune work. Things seem to stall a little on “Dream Song,” but I get that the next few songs act like REM sleep snippets. The full Beatlesque melodies come back on “Out of The Light,” its got a scratchy vibe – like an old 45 you found. “Sleeping and Smiling” has a dreamy 10cc quality and the sprawling closer “When The Sun Shines” has some nice George Harrison styled slide guitar. Overall solid execution and the ear-catching melodies make this the equivalent of power pop comfort food. Highly Recommended.

Amazon


Daisy House

Daisy House “Bon Voyage”

The Southern California folk-rock duo of Doug Hammond and his daughter Tatiana are back after last year’s successful Crossroads. The vocal dynamics of the songs remind one of the late 60’s harmony bands Mamas & Papas or CSN, but the songs are thoroughly modern and touch folk, rock, and country genres. Bon Voyage continues the band’s sophisticated songcraft on the title track, a strummed gem with a Spanish-styled rhythm. “Stop Looking’ At Me” is a topical song about sexual harassment. You kind of expected Liz Phair to do something like this, but Tatiana pulls this off perfectly. The apprehensive shuffling “Persephone” is along similar cynical lines.

The chamber pop of “A.I. Girls” makes good use of Doug’s higher vocal range and on “Let’s Do it Again” Tatiana channels Chrissie Hynde with its catchy power-pop chorus. Of course the Byrdsian folk jangle returns on “Over The Hill” and the trippy “Like A Superman.” It takes a few chances, as “Heavenly” feels overproduced, but the classic ballad “Til The End Of The World” is near perfection. The songwriting is top notch, along with the multi-layered instrumentation. Highly Recommended.