Okay, these are the last of my 2023 releases for review. Even David Bash has his list out now. 2024 new releases have been ready for review, and next week we begin that.
Swedish musician Christoffer Karlsson is a one-man wrecking crew with his band No Tears. It’s note-perfect punk pop with “Dreaming,” akin to Kurt Baker with a densely melodic, frantic tempo, handclaps, and screams midway through. Christoffer looks a bit like a 21st-century version of Elvis Costello on the cover, and his skills are evident with the catchy “I Wanna Be With You (Tonight)” and “Electric Eyes.”
The punkier aspects sometimes threaten the melodic structure of some songs (“Same Old Story”), but there are too many great singles here to ignore; check out “Echo in My Head,” “Broken Mirror,” and “On 45.” Fans of the “Boston Mafia” (Geoff Palmer, Brad Marino, Kurt Baker, etc.) and late 70s revivalists like The Uni Boys will love this release, and it would have made my top 25 for sure if I heard it earlier. Highly Recommended.
Produced by Moe Berg (The Pursuit of Happiness), the James Clark Institute has returned with James Clark on guitar, percussion, and vocals. The band also features electric lead guitarist Tom Gibson, bassist Tim Gall, pianist Greg Condie, and drummer Dean Carl Glover. The opener “Hit Hollywood” sets the tone and theme for the album with its playful melody, and another highlight is the shimmering “Phantom Girl” with its harmonized chorus.
Things tone down with the ballad “Tornado,” but the next song, “Whatever O’Clock In The Morning,” has plenty of optimism as it bounces along. Clark’s lyrics are often thought-provoking, as the angry protagonist exclaims, “Against my better judgment, I’m still waiting for a compliment…” in the song “Remarkably Like You.” The music is consistently good from beginning to end; even if there is no obvious single, “Waiting On The Waitress” is a really good example (with some added Hollywood references). The song hooks are subtle, and this is an album that needs a few plays to appreciate the theme. Highly Recommended.
There is no doubt about the skill that Bill Lloyd possesses; nevertheless, after hitting a tremendous home run with Working The Long Game, he is satisfied to figuratively stop and smell the roses with his latest release. He explores a few different styles on this album, but it starts with the impressive low-rhythm title track “Look Into It.” This is Lloyd’s bread and butter, with a terrific riff in the chorus and a strong lyric. The curious “This Ain’t My Parade” recalls his earlier works, with a dreamer looking back on his career. Bill moves along with strange stories in “Aroma Dollerhead” and the pounding “Number System.” One of the better songs here is “Keep the Place Clean.” You can almost see the music video in your head; it’s so well done. “Road Trip Betty” is a great car-driving song; you can picture the signs just passing on the highway.
Check out “She Cheated on Her Pain” and “We Can Drive.” The depressing mood of these songs doesn’t diminish their narrative power. There are folk ballads (“Half Mast” is a nod to John Prine) and country acoustic (“Bunny in the High Grass”). There are weird attempts at reggae (“Don’t Watch Me”)Â and an instrumental (“Game Show Stars of the 70s”) But make no mistake, Lloyd’s music is a treasure, and most of his tunes hit the mark. Highly Recommended.
Within the span of a double album consisting of 21 tracks, Jim Basnight has crafted what is arguably his most eclectic record to date. The album features elements of pop, rock, jazz, bluegrass, and blues. The best music here swings across several levels, starting with the swaying horns of “Summertime Again” to the light, goofy “Lattes.” The play “Little Rock” by Basnight served as the inspiration for many of the songs, and Suze Sims’ female backing vocals plus some strings give some of them a distinct adult jazz-pop feel. For the best of this style, check out “The Heart” and “Stars in Time.”
There are good rock songs (“What I Wouldn’t Do” and “We Rocked We Rolled”), but his best work here is on “Guilty” and Stones-like pop like “Stay To The End.” Another silly sing-along “Cameltoe” (doing a play on “Happy Trails”) and some country bluegrass and jazz notes (“Elma” and “Something Peculiar”), and there you have it. While the album theme doesn’t necessarily tell a story, the emotional delivery of most of these songs is strong and gets better with replays. This is music that deserves to be heard.
I counted an additional 258 albums that I did not even get to fully examine last year, but rather than come out with my Top 10 Eps of 2023 (that’s next week) I will give you some much-needed singles (some are freebies) to keep you company.
Shane Tumarc (Dolour) sets the stage with a great cover of the Zombies’ “This Will Be Our Year,” the energy of Rock Europa’s “Pick at the Scab” is infectious with a commanding melody line. Brower’s “Confrontation” is very much in the mold of early Frank Zappa with its faux 50’s call and response. Next, Rooftop Screamers has perfected the arena rocker single “Dead In The Water,” with a solid vocal by Rob Daiker. It’s been a good year, and The Armoires give us the gentle opening salvo on “Music & Animals,” a fitting theme for the ASPCA. Finally, Mo Troper had a big hand in 2023 with producing others (including himself), so “For You To Sing” includes friends Brenden Ramirez (Bory) and Blue Broderick (Diners). Fear not, as I have another singles post of 2023 songs that deserve to be heard! Stay tuned.