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 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!
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!
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.
