20/20 “Back to California”
20/20 is rightly considered one of the greatest power pop bands. Steve Allen and Ron Flynt had emerged after fellow Tulsa natives Phil Seymour and Dwight Twilley had success. Their debut album according to John Borack, “is as close to a perfect power pop album as anything released in that “second wave” (’78-’81) time period, and it stands up to the best the genre has ever produced.”
Like prodigal sons, they returned literally and figuratively to California to pick up where they left off older and wiser, and the songwriting hasn’t lost a step. Ron’s son Ray Flynt is added on vocals and drums. The duo focus on several jangling love songs starting with the title track “Back to California.” Some really excellent songs like “Laurel Canyon” and “The End Of The Summer,” showcase a laid back nostalgia with some simple but compelling hooks. It’s not all power pop either, as “The King of The Whole Wide World” recalls Tom Petty. Highly recommended.
Them Elephants “Sugar”
Them Elephants, a project created by San Francisco musician Alex Charlow, accurately follows the template for modern power pop with anthemic choruses, big melodic hooks and buzzing riffs that cut through boredom like a knife through butter. He gets a little more psyche pop on “The Way You Move” with a distorted fuzzy guitar solo after each chorus; its a great way to use a vintage sound in a song with funky rhythms.
The feel good riffs of the title track “Sugar” and “Get Up” make it hard to keep still. The sound is refreshingly modern but stylistically homogenous; and the anthems can wear a bit thin by the end, but overall this is a lot of fun. Highly recommended!