Zach Jones and Reno Bo

powerpopaholic

More 2020 releases I missed…

Zach Jones

Zach Jones “Be Nice! (The Singles Collection, Vol. 1)”

Between October of 2019 and September of 2020 the talented singer/songwriter Zach Jones has teased us with some stellar singles, so it made sense for him to compile them at the end of the year into a single LP. The opener “Be Nice!” is a beautiful pastiche of classic influences (The Beatles, Beach Boys, and numerous Motown artists). It bursts with the hope of reconciliation (wow! Very timely.)

This is followed by a cover of the Brian Wilson late-70s classic “I’ll Bet He’s Nice.” Jones’s production work is solid, and “Jim & Jane” is a melodic study of a couple on different life trajectories. “Best Thing To Happen” is a light Buddy Holly styled gem and the jangling goodness of “Like The Tide” is a bit like early Neil Young. The ballads have a Broadway musical quality like “October’s Almost Over” and “Yesterday of No Return.” A great collection and highly recommended.

Amazon


Reno Bo

Reno Bo “You Can See It All From Here”

Reno Bo is another brilliant musician who is just too good to overlook, yet I ran of out time for a proper LP review in 2020. He opens the acapella prayer “Phantom Anthem” with some haunting multi-part harmonies. “Baby Blues” and “Second To Last” are slices of smooth guitar pop very much in the mold of Lindsey Buckingham.

He switches gears a bit with “Take Cover” as its 80s synth beat leads the rhythm. The blues jam “Houdini In Reverse” is also a nice change of pace, and the buzzing “Even A Stone” recalls classic Eric Clapton. The latter half of the album keeps this beautiful blues-rock sound around and “Time Again Tomorrow” is another highlight. While the album lacks uptempo tunes, every song is flawlessly performed. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

New Year, New Singles: The Morning Line, Ken Sharp, Jeremy Porter and The Tucos, The Click Beetles, Baby Scream

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While I plan to write several reviews about albums I missed in 2020, that doesn’t mean we don’t recognize that new music is already here. Enjoy these brand new singles from some of my favorites! 

 





The Junior League, The Well Wishers and Dave Caruso

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Without a doubt, I missed a lot of good music in 2020. I will do my best to highlight some LPs and EPs that I didn’t review yet in the next few weeks. 

The Well Wishers

The Junior League “Fall Back”

Joe Adragna’s follow up to the summer excellence that was Summer of Lies. This album is much more laid back, with less anger but just as much anxiety as “Sad America” seems an appropriate theme for the sad state of our country. The style is more alt. country-pop, with Joe looking back on his journey with the soulful “Ladders,” and some great jangling hooks with “Leave Me Resigned.” Additional highlights include the cynical “Help It’s Strange,” “Through With Me,” and the Byrdisan title track. Highly Recommended!

Amazon

The Well Wishers

The Well Wishers “Shelf Life”

Jeff Shelton is another artist who consistently delivers great jangling guitar with a distinct layer of fuzz, and the pandemic gave him additional time to record and make more music. You know what you’re getting; “We Grow Up” and “My Desire” delivers the goods with compelling melodies and riffs.  A few mid-tempo tunes have more of a roots-pop feel like “Secrets and Lies” and “Father of The Bride” about a dad coming to terms with giving away a daughter (“take it all in stride”).  He seems to be having fun with songs like “You Never Have To Sing A Lonely Song” and The Squeeze-like “Who Cries.” Listen to this, you will too. Highly Recommended!

Amazon


David Caruso

Dave Caruso “Radiophonic Supersonic”

Dave’s new album radiates a positive vibe all around and is ranked high on many year-end lists. “Little Miss Sunshine” is a bouncy melody that gives you hope with a big hook in the chorus. Dave got assists from production pros Brad Jones and Andy Reed and he’s never sounded better.  The vocals are measured, but the compositions are carefully constructed, like “The Drop.” It’s got a touch of XTC with a big dose of pop smoothness. “A Piece of The Action” is another highlight here. The styles vary across the album, but most of the songs are in the easy-listening category; the bossa nova “Atomic Smile” evokes a jazzy mood. Some songs are a bit lightweight, but enjoyable overall.

Kool Kat Musik

The Top 10 EPs of 2020 and some final singles

powerpopaholic

The Top 10 EPs from 2020

    1. Aaron Lee Tasjan “Found Songs Vol.1”
    2. Brad Marino “False Alarm”
    3. The Unswept “The Codependent EP”
    4. Cliff Hillis “Life Gets Strange”
    5. Dear Stella “Time Zones”
    6. The Lickerish Quartet “Threesome Vol. 1”
    7. The Amplifier Heads “The Man With The Sun For A Head”
    8. The Blakes “Readymade Blakeup”
    9. Jim Trainor “Glass Half Full”
    10. Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves “Corona Drive” and Mike Gibson “Never Seen Star Wars”

Still digging out of 2020. I enjoy this month because I get to see all the other bloggers’ lists and compare. I know there are always a couple of gems out there I missed. I already have some new music for 2021, but first I will try to review some of the LPs that missed the list. In the meantime, enjoy this last pack of 2020 singles:









The Power Popaholic Top 25 Albums of 2020

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  1. Joe Giddings “Better From Here”
  2. Ice Cream Hands “No Weapon But Love”
  3. The Szuters “Sugar”
  4. Joey Molland “Be True To Yourself”
  5. Rick Hromadka “Better Days”
  6. Drake Bell “The Lost Album”
  7. The Weeklings “3”
  8. Nick Piunti and The Complicated Men “Downtime”
  9. Gary Ritchie “Head On A Swivel”
  10. The Bye Bye Blackbirds “Boxer At Rest”
  11. The Overtures “Onceinaworld”
  12. Keith Slettedahl “You Know You Know”
  13. The Lees Of Memory “Moon Shot”
  14. Emperor Penguin “Soak UpThe Gravy”
  15. Diamond Hands “III”
  16. Kurt Baker “After Party”
  17. Disq “Collector”
  18. The Empty Hearts “Second Album”
  19. Coke Belda “4”
  20. The Explorers Club “The Explorers Club”
  21. Goodman “Goodman Versus The Nostalgia Machine”
  22. Timmy Sean “A Tale From The Other Side” Part I
  23. Successful Failures “Pack Up Your Shadows”
  24. Mo Troper “Natural Beauty”
  25. Brendan Benson “Dear Life”

Overall, a really good year for power pop and the pandemic has allowed many artists to write themes about love and hope (Rick Hromadka and Ice Cream Hands). The differences in ranking from 1 – 25 are very, very small. There was also a strong return to “traditional” power pop this year, meaning sounds that emulated The Beatles’ style and spirit (The Szuters, Weeklings, Gary Ritchie, The Overtures). Some albums that were not rated a “9” grew as I listened to them again and others did the opposite. Emotionally charged debuts from Disq and Keith Slettedahl broke through for me. I spent a lot of time on a video giving snippets of each artist, so you can get a quick listen to each.

The best of the rest… I will not spend time ranking them, but everyone here could have squeezed into my top 25 easily.