Wesley Fuller and Ducks Ltd.
Wesley Fuller “All Fuller No Filler”
We all knew Perth-born, Melbourne-based Wesley Fuller’s follow-up to Inner City Dream would be good. Wesley was kind enough to be interviewed about this album while promoting the singles earlier this year. But from the opening chords of “Back to Square One,” you can see that his songwriting has improved exponentially. With the casual retro synth-pop of “Alamein Line,” or “The House of Love,” and the guitar riffs of “The Velvet Affair,” Wes takes the late ’70s influences and builds from that point.
Even though Wesley looks a lot like Jeff Lynne—and Lynne’s influence is palpable in several of the songs—there’s a lot more happening here that reveals itself after repeated listening. “Look No Further” takes a distant piano rhythm and turns it into magic with a loaded chorus of harmonies. Like the promise in the name of his record, there’s nothing here that feels like filler. Highly recommended and an early nominee for 2024’s top ten!
Ducks Ltd. “Harm’s Way”
In the same vein as power pop, jangle pop is an adjacent subgenre of music that has a timeless quality. Bands like REM, The Smiths, and Echo and the Bunnymen reimagined what the Byrds started in the 1960s in the late 1980s. Canadian band Ducks Ltd. follows the tradition of combining sparkling, jangly guitars with crisp vocals and thoroughly melodic songwriting. The duo of singer-guitarist Tom McGreevy and guitarist Evan Lewis take great pains to make these songs stick.
“Hollowed Out” really does remind me of those college-era bands; The Ocean Blue or The Mighty Lemon Drops, without the psychedelic aftertaste. “The Main Thing” is another song that chugs away with a zippy chorus and a fast rhythm. Most of the songs hit that nostalgic mark, and this is another highly recommended album.
RIP: Eric Carmen and Karl Wallinger
Eric Carmen
We lost another legend. Eric Carmen, the lead singer of The Raspberries, whose soulful voice and electrifying stage presence defined an era of 1970s rock and roll, passed away on March 12, 2024, at 75. Carmen’s voice soared above the driving rhythms and catchy tunes as the lead singer of The Raspberries. His raw emotion and undeniable charisma captivated audiences. He was one of the best rock singer-frontmen ever because of how he moved on stage and how his voice sounded.
With hits like “Go All the Way,” “I Wanna Be with You,” and “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record),” The Raspberries became one of the first bands to define what power-pop music sounds like. Beyond his work with The Raspberries, Carmen enjoyed a successful solo career, releasing a string of hit singles, including “All by Myself” and “Hungry Eyes.” He will be deeply missed but never forgotten.
Karl Wallinger
Karl Wallinger, the visionary force behind the band World Party, died at 67. He also performed with The Waterboys and did a lot of soundtrack work. Wallinger has left a legacy of enduring songs with his unusual rock, pop, and folk blend. With hits like “Ship of Fools” and “Way Down Now,” Wallinger demonstrated his knack for crafting infectious melodies and insightful lyrics that resonated with audiences worldwide. My favorite album of his was Goodbye Jumbo.
Writer Bob Lefsetz wrote a fitting tribute for both artists here.
More March singles and EPs: Oh Bummer, Extra Arms, Friends of Cesar Romero, Orbis Max, Paul Crane and the Overend Watts, The Electromagnets, Vanilla
Rich Arithmetic and The Incurables
Rich Arithmetic “Pushbutton Romance”
The follow-up to 2021’s Shiftinggears takes a big step in the right direction for Rich Arithmetic (aka Richard Horton). The catchy standout opener “When You Want Somebody (To Make Love To),” features a combination of jangling guitar and a solid chorus with a swirling psychedelic break midway through. The influences; The Knack, XTC, and Martin Newell are easy touchpoints here. While the similarities to Newell are evident in the quirkier pop moments like “Battered & Broke,” his crisp 12-string guitar, understated bass lines, and harmonies on “Moral Blight” are closer to XTC’s Colin Moulding. There are excursions into folk in “Up To You” and surf guitar in “Saving Sunset.”
The three-part suite “A Teenage Hymn” recalls Pet Sounds (especially the first part) but takes its way to get through a vintage courtship, ending in a well-executed baroque instrumental finale. Getting back to power pop, “You are Always Right” is another winner, and Rich takes a bold chance with African-themed “Thema Toh Selah (Zambia Zombie Samba),” and it works beautifully. This is a wonderfully complete album that is highly recommended!
The Incurables “Inside Out & Backwards”
Michigan quartet The Incurables are cousins Ray and Darrin Lawson on bass and drums, along with their lifelong friends Pat Kelly and Dennis Pepperack on guitars. They toiled on the local garage punk scene for years, and now Big Stir Records lets them loose. Influences here are The Ramones, The MC5, and Iggy Pop. “When I Grow Up” is like a punk slacker anthem that sticks a middle finger at that old Beach Boys chestnut with its ridiculous goals (“Never gonna happen!”)
The band plays it straight for the familiar-sounding “Far Away,” and the catchy, but repetitive “Soda Pop.” The frantic rhythms of “Back Into Eloise” have great energy and a solid hook, Additional highlights include the very Iggy-like “Funhouse” and dueling leads of “I Told Myself (Absolutely Nothing).” When they don’t take themselves seriously, it’s appreciated. It’s a record that deserves to be heard!
