Tag: Dave Caruso

The Junior League, The Well Wishers and Dave Caruso

powerpopaholic

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

Blitzen Trapper and Dave Caruso

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Blitzen Trapper

Blitzen Trapper “Wild and Reckless”

Not content to stick to a genre, Blitzen Trapper has landed somewhere between alt. country and roots rock on its latest LP. Lead singer Eric Earley is part Dylan, part Neil Young with a touch of Springsteen and Tom Petty. Opening with “Rebel” it sets up a story of roadside Americana about a young couple, running from the law and other things. The title track sets the grand theme with a terrific guitar riff in the chorus and it has richly layered instrumentation.

With “Forever Pt. 1” it sets up an epic with lush piano,  strings, and beautiful harmonies – but it then settles into the dusty folk narrative “Joanna” and the bouncy “No Man’s Land.” It always seems to tease us into another genre only to tread similar ground. The music is here fairly predictable if you know the band, but you get occasional brilliance on the energetic “Dance With Me,” and the anthemic finale “Wind Don’t Always Blow.”

Amazon


Dave Caruso

Dave Caruso “Buddha Pesto Manifesto”

On the opener, “Listen to This,” it actually describes his music “getting stuck in your head.” Caruso then teases you on “Go Ahead (Don’t Listen)” an Elvis Costello-like rocker, and it then draws you into his world with his soft and inviting vocal. What follows is the brilliant pop narrative “Boomer, Jenna & Lennie” a nostalgic story that recalls Andrew Gold mixed with Brian Wilson styled vocals. The easy-going gems “The Girl Who Checks All The Boxes” and “Hanging With You” have enough Beatle-isms to keep it compelling along with its bright catchy melodies.

Each track is a wonderful surprise from the hymn-like harpsichord pop of  “God’s Green Acre” to the 80’s style power pop of “Getting Involved” and “Allendale.” There is plenty of humorous wordplay with the “Punctuating Shatner,” and the heartbreaking “I Get To Make Her Laugh” will make you think about all those class clowns who are crying on the inside. Not a wasted note here and Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik | CD Baby

Steve Caraway and Dave Caruso

powerpopaholic

Steve Caraway “Upon This Rock”

Steve Caraway is a veteran adult contemporary singer from Boston, think a cross between Bryan Adams and Steve Perry. I expected “Upon This Rock” to be a modern Christian rock album based on the title, and although it has its share of inspiring tunes, is clearly secular.

The simple strum of “This Foolish Heart” is a good opener about learning to love again. “Big Star” is a tribute to the late Alex Chilton and the band without sounding at all like the subject, more a wistful reminiscence. “Supernova” heads into power ballad territory and comparisons to Perry are appropriate here, that mentioned its a catchy tune with layered horns and guitars. The purest power pop here is “Candy” with its strong guitar line and minor chords, but there is plenty here to recommend including the epic title track which feels like a great Elton John ballad and the rocking love-song “Justine.” Well done and highly recommended.

CD Baby  | Amazon

Dave Caruso “Cardboard Vegas Roundabout”

We reviewed David Caruso before, so the laid back guitar on “Mystery & Sweetness” is an expected pleasure, but he really has the vocal technique honed on his Beach Boys tribute “Champion.” With some wonderful “Ba ba ba” harmonies, it lyrically states the truth “how do you keep it light while peeling back the layers of bittersweet insight?” Fans of adult contemporary pop will just love “Rockabye (A Rockturnal Lullabye)” with its descending chord structure and perfectly timed guitar solo.

Caruso’s guitar pop hits a winner with “Fake Friends,” a jangle-tastic single about ignoring those Facebook nobodies. David’s clear pop production reminds me a lot of Lewis Taylor on the soulful “I’ve Tried To Write You.”  Another big highlight is the Elvis Costello like ballad “The Art of Erica,” and it proves this to be another highly recommended album.

CD Baby | Amazon | Kool Kat Musik