Slink “Desert Gem”
Lead by Sam Boukas, Slink is a hidden treasure of power pop just waiting to be discovered. “Dizzy” opens with a classic Big Star riff and harmony filled chorus. “Super Laura” is about the excitement of a new girl, with buzzing riffs and backing harmonies that recall The Greenberry Woods. “Money” is another good one, full of jangle and descriptive lyrics. The hooks get a bit more sparse at the mid-point, the punchy “Sweet Life” reminds me of “East Side Story” era Squeeze and stands out the most here. A very promising debut, we hope you dust off this “Desert Gem” and see it sparkle.
Ruby Free “Introducing Ruby Free”
Rick Hromadka (Maple Mars, Double Naught Spies) has put together a warm, rustic production with his wife Lisa Cavaliere called Ruby Free. Rick puts away the hard rock riffs in favor of sunny upbeat harmonies and 60’s styled pop on the opener “Bongos and Beards.”
Lisa’s vocal adds much needed sweetness to the mix here. “Deep In The Valley” is a real homegrown gem that reminds one of McCartney’s first LP. Each tune has it’s own charms, “Slow Parade” is a catchy slice of guitar perfection and “Good Company” is a dreamy piano number that layers the harmonies and psychedelics. Rick sounds more relaxed here too, the light folk duet “Sonny and Cher” floats along as a tale of hippy heartbreak. No filler here — every song keeps the ball rolling, to a “Hey Jude” styled crescendo in “Three Cheers For The Sun God.” Lots of nice orchestral touches close out “One Last Song” like an Elton John/Brian Wilson epic. One of this year’s best, it belongs high on my top ten for 2012.
