Baker Island - Love Eggtually

 

I think many of you know how much I like Intelligent Indie, I scour for it. It isn't the type of Indie that you see pushed up front in the never-ending list of playlisters who bang on about how cool they are, the artists being secondary and lobbed in amidst the mediocre and the ordinary, usually of Bucks.

This type of invention usually comes from these shores and the Newcastle five piece are from Newcastle. Listen to the whole thing and you will be transported into a land of surprises. It is heady mix of constant surprises.

At its heart, this is Indie Pop, Alt Pop even. But it is so much more. You are reminded of the obvious peers like XTC and The Sugarplastic, but also the slightly geeky 80s New Wave and the adventurous Psych Pop of the 60s. There is even a hint of Russell Mael vocally at times.

Guitar and key riffs cross over, songs change direction at will. There are six songs here, but hundreds of ideas. Take the title track, which opened the current Listening To This Week. It is all 60s Toytown in feel with that splendid Psych riff and the wonderful vocal harmonies. 

There is obvious so much thought that goes into the songs. This is a group that know their influences, but make them almost unique in their output. The Angular Riff and cheap Casio soundalike of the keyboard is endeared by great vocal harmony on Let Them Eat Cake And Have It.

Dogged By Ill Luck is much darker, extraordinary good Psych Pop to a vintage Kids TV Theme sort of thing. Fortune-Teller Friend is beautifully twee with a driving Bassline, very very Sugarplastic, basic but with so much within.

Champion's Visit is the big one. 7 minutes that fly by, at times the band's most accessible song, more than a Little Brit Pop, but again lyrically adept, unlike most from that genre. There is also a mind-blowing vocal harmony segment that is just amazing, Active minds provide active songs and these five are therefore hyperactive. What an absolute corker of an album!

You can listen to and buy the album here. The album is available on CD and as a download.

..................

Humbug - Open Season (Name Your Price)

 

Los Angeles quartet, Humbug have fashioned a great debut album. In essence, Power Pop, but Aidan Cole's laconic vocal allows the band to stray into other areas such as Indie Rock, although the melody is never ever lost.

There is also a feel of the better part of 90s Guitar Pop bands. Weezer-ish maybe without ever sounding like that band. There is though a Slacker like quality at times and lyrically these are great story songs adding a really creditable depth.

The songs are splendidly arranged and performed, the whole band are locked in, but another special mention should be for Alex Cubillos's Guitar work. There are some stunning riffs and solos. Open Season is quite a debut.

There is also fine variety. Backlot jangles like a good 'un and I Know The Story starts wonderfully melancholic and then launches into great 80s Indie Pop with added harmonica. Enjoy The Movies gets all "Let's do the song right here", all streamy and foot tapping.

Yet, Nina is great urgent crunchy Power Pop and Galaga could be a 90s Sit Com theme, killer Guitar included. The band excel on the title track, a song that chops and changes at will, one of the best opening songs that you will hear all year, a song that sets the tone of what is to come.

You will have heard Barbara Says on the Listening To This Week Playlist and it remains a wonderful listen, lyrically adept and beautifully played as the whole album is. Open Season is one of the strongest debuts that I have hears in a long time. Go Buy!

You can listen to and buy the album here.

................

Dom Mariani - Apple Of Life

 

October's 31 Reviews in 31 Days unintentionally referenced returning heroes and here is another. Dom Mariani has an extensive back catalogue that fits what we've always done. Through The Stems, The Someloves and particularly DM3, he has lit up our world.

After spending the past decade or so with the Blues Rock of Datura4, Mariani is back on more familiar territory. Apple Of Live is more Pop Rock than previous Power Pop related joy, but a song like World On Its Head revives the urgency and pace of those DM3 days.

The Pop Rock is ace, very 70s at times and reveals the sheer melody and harmony of Mariani's songs whilst venturing into different areas. Where Do Lovers Go, for instance, is built around some wonderful Steel Guitar.

Breaking Point sounds more 80s, AOR even, and Take It All Back adds more Steel Guitar, but sounds more Badfinger or Raspberries. Just Can't Wait again points to those DM3 joys, a great Power Pop affair that adds a memorable chorus. You will also find yourself singing theApple Of Life chorus for weeks and weeks.

There is more Steel Guitar than the Jangling of yore, but the arrangements are spot on and the production brings out the best of Mariani's easy vocal. There is also the stand out opener, Breakaway, that adds organ and an unforgettable chorus. You do forget that he is such a fine Guitarists, this is a big reminder, It is splendid to have Mariani back on home territory. 

You can listen to the album here. It is available on CD and Vinyl here and all good record shops.

..................

Listening To This Week Playlist 3 November

 

27 songs this week  Feels a bit of a sway to our base camp of Guitar Pop. However, there are some wonderful deviations. As well as the traditional version, we have put the playlist on Spotify and you will see the link below.  25 of the 27 songs are available on Spotify. 

The weekly playlist is largely for submissions, not just the usual stuff that we dig out ourselves. The song order is not about song preference, but how the playlist flows.  All embeds open in new windows to aid scrolling. 

Links to the artists will also appear on I Don't Hear A Single Social Media sites over the next 24 hours. This will help you to discover more about the artists who appear here. 

The Spotify Version    (The Sylvia Platters and Earwig songs are not on Spotify)

Link To Spotify

Baker Island - Love Eggtually

The High Frequencies - Nothing Really Stays The Same

Humbug - Barbara Says

Parent Teacher - Fire Door

The Len Price 3 - If I Could Cheer You Up

The Len Price 3 · If I Could Cheer You Up

Andrew Weiss And Friends - I Don't Wanna Live In This World

Julian Cubillos - Haunted Paradise

Trolley - Shiny Cars

Color Palette - Zombie

Livingmore - Resident Psycho

Shapes Like People - Supergirl

The Goods - Sunday Morning Out Of The Blue

Tirra Lirra - Snake Chalmer

Moberod - Cut It Out

moberod · Cut It Out!

Belle Blue - Needed You More

Strayers - Only Human

Gift Horse - Fathers

The Sylvia Platters - Alone     (Not On Spotify)

Train Conductor - Elephant Graveyard

Subsolar - Here And Now

Earwig - The World Is Coming 2 An End (Not On Spotify)

Quixote - Bioluminescent Eyes

Father Of Peace - Heaven

Holy Coves - Falling Down

Holy Coves · Falling Down

Alpacca-in-Chief - You Lead The Way

mylittlebrother - you know better

Karaboudjan - 3615 Papagai

.............................

Parent Teacher - Doombloomer

 

New York's Richard Spitzer is Parent Teacher and Doombloomer is right up our street. Essentially great Intelligent Indie with a real melodic Pop feel. although the wonderful vocal is hidden under the incredible arrangements which are truly mind blowing. 

It is these arrangements that mark Spitzer away from the masses. He has incredible voice that would suit many of the Weezer and Power Pop or Pop Rock wannabes, but these arrangements are so original and interesting that you lose sight of the vocal excellence at times.

The album is splendidly Lo-Fi, but don't let that put you off in anyway. The variety is special. Demonise flirts with Psych Pop, yet Stepping Stone is fine 80s Pop that you can dance to. Hysterica mixes a 90s Rock backbeat with a corking killer harmonic chorus. 

There are two real standouts. The sheer Indie Rock moodiness of Homesick, which is almost Post Punk. Then there is the exquisite Guitar Pop of Fire Pop, with a cracking synth addition and A1 Vocal, which is one of the best things that you will hear this or any year. Doombloomer is extraordinarily great.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

...................

Blake Collins - There's Nowhere Like Here

 

There are plenty of artists who have tried to nail 60s Guitar Pop across one or seldom albums. Most have failed due to it all sounding a bit fake or contrived. Too much about trying to be cool than thinking about the sound of that decade. Los Angeles's Blake Collins brilliantly nails it.

It the sound of Early Beatles and Merseybeat up to the gentler side of UK Beat. The songs stand on their own, but the sound is perfect, particularly the drum Sound which is captured wonderfully well. The songs are well written, a little reverential maybe, but beautifully played.

The twang of You've Been On My Mind, the all together now shuffle of Alright Now. The Beatles like quality of their pre Rubber Soul songs on the title track. You can imagine Collins playing Good Good Good on Ready Steady Go.

Tears Come Down shows the songs can be slowed down and adds a Duane Eddy twang. I'm Not Going To Take It Anymore is more Beat, more second half of the 60s.  There's Nowhere Like Here is very nostalgic, but splendidly produced, written and performed.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

.....................

Slow Motion Film - The Rule of Six aka Untitled#2 EP

 

It is great to have the Amoeba Teen splinter Trio back with their second EP. The first suggested that the Stourbridge three were not going to continue the catchy Guitar Pop of their previous group, it was Rockier and noisier and was a notification of great things to come. 

This takes the band further away from their roots, much further and it is dynamic. The opener is not a major departure, but more Indie Rock akin to the more interesting non synth 80s.  Escaping Berlin is followed by Hot Badger which is noisier almost Fuzz Pop, real shake your fist stuff over 96 seconds.

But then the EP takes a much different turn with two longer pieces. ONSY starts the first part of its 9 and a half minutes as part Prog, part Pop Rock, but then it explodes into a masterful mix of Psych and Alt Rock instrumentally. Heavier shoe gaze maybe, but absolutely hypnotic.

The soundscape is taken even further with the closer, Universe, again long at over 8 minutes. This feels more Prog at times, but again holding its Psych and Shoegaze with added Trumpet. It is an incredible listen. A change of direction maybe, but a very welcome one for these ears.

You can listen to and buy the EP here.

.................................