The Sick Rose “Someplace Better”
Italy’s The Sick Rose has a new LP that really rocks your socks off. It’s solidly produced by The Posies’ Ken Stringfellow and clearly inspired by power pop bands of the early 1980’s. Fans of The Records, 20/20 and Shoes will find a lot to love in these 11 original songs.
“How To Be Your Friend” features vocalist Luca Re’s strong (non-accented) lead and a jangling melody. “Fortune and Fame” echoes The Raspberries with its guitar and drum combo, with a wicked solo midway through. “Frustrated,” is pure guitar bliss with harmonies floating under the lead. Dom Mariani’s (DM3) style is also imprinted here, as you’ll hear the bounce on “Milk and Honey” and “Sweet As Punch.”
“Stand Tall” is straight from The Records playbook, and “Nobody” adds that 1960s-Farfisa organ for this retro-soul rocker that’s perfect to dance to. Overall, not a bad or slow song here – although a ballad to break things up would’ve been a nice change of pace. Highly Recommended.
The Mayflowers “The Wild One”
Over the years I’ve often said The Mayflowers continue to be one of the best power pop band’s in Japan. Formed by Osamu Satoyama they’ve been active for over 12 years and now we have a new release that lives up to its title.
The opener “Rollin’ Stone” incorporates a musical tribute to the famous band, and yet it’s an original psyche-pop gem that builds into an impressive jam (fans of Jeremy Morris, take note). The title track borrows a bit from AC-DC’s “Highway To Hell,” but if you are looking for guitar bliss “Getaway” does the trick. It’s like The Posies and The Red Hot Chili were playing together and a cover of The James Band “Funk #69” fits in perfectly next.
Satoyama’s ballad “Starlight” is a great melodic break here with some good chord shifts. “Comes Alive” and “Dirty Mac” is a little more retro and closer to The Who and The Beatles in style. The finale “Shine On” is another impressive highlight that reminded me of The Turnback. Highly Recommended.