West Coast Music Club “Faded Scrapbook”
The opening track “Fanclub Favourite” says what every under-the-radar band would love to hear “You’re still our favourite though you never really made it…” and the UK-based band does its best to spread those positive fan club vibes early on. This is the fourth album for the band; Martin Adams (vocals/guitar), Peter Madden (guitar/bass/vocals), and Marc Joy (drums, etc.) and they have a slight psych-pop vibe with ethereal harmonies; fans of Teenage Fanclub, early-REM and The Ocean Blue will enjoy these jangling melodies.
Adams’s lead vocal is soft and slightly weary but fits those guitar-based melodies perfectly. The Byrdsian rhythms are hypnotic on the title track and “Here It Comes Again,” a tune about an unwelcome earworm. The noise drone of “Hotel California” is very much in the shoegazer genre, lacking much of a hook its not for everyone. The band’s sound seems to evolve the further you listen. The emotional acoustic “The View From Here” is poignant and looks to make amends for past transgressions. It follows this form a bit until later on when we get the lively “Serendipity” which feels like a Velvet Underground outtake. The last track “Ouija Doll” is another echoing-fuzz gem. Overall a good album that takes repeat listens to grow on you. Check it out.
Kai Danzberg “Satellite”
Kai Danzberg is a next-generation power-pop artist with a collection of classic power pop influences, but this album is a self-produced love letter to Electric Light Orchestra. After a lengthy prelude, the single “Turn It Up” with Roger Manning Jr. (Jellyfish, Lickerish Quartet) is loaded with enthusiasm, and fun melodic hooks – it easily could’ve been on the Xanadu Soundtrack. The instrumentation may recall Jeff Lynne, but Kai keeps his original compositions in the present day.
“Diva Eyes” and “Oh Baby!” both have that late 70’s feel (circa Discovery) and ELO fans will have fun playing spot the influence, especially on barely disguised re-writes like “Voodoo Woman.” Another standout, “Lonely Together” is an exceptional tune that includes a loaded brass section. The quiet ballad “Satellite” is also a great showcase for Kai’s heartfelt songwriting technique. The coda “Turn It Up (Reprise)” wraps it up in a neat bow. This started as a fan-funded project and is a digital-only release. Overall, highly recommended.
