Eroica - Apollo Complex

 

After opening up July largely with a whole lot of Guitar Pop, it is worth underling that I don't just live in that world. Away from IDHAS, I listen to a lot of Psych and Prog and when I hear something that I think will be appreciated here, it arrives.

This is one such example. It is an incredible piece of work and has extraordinary depth. It can do the complex, surprise chord changes and instrumental brilliance. Yet it can also be accessible and melodic, it is a masterful release.

L.A. quartet Eroica's debut album is one hell of a listen. It will naturally be compared to Radiohead and Muse, but that would be both in their prime. The band have the complexity of the former and the accessibility of the latter.

The arrangements are immense, at ease with the meandering and the direct. Apollo Complex don't allow the wankiness that this type of stuff is labelled with, to enter. Cry Again gets close to Pop Rock and The Ginny Carr Tape is hypnotic and closer to Classic Rock.

I Remind You Of Your Mother is an incredible month, varied and packing so much into just over 4 minutes. As you might expect, there are longer songs and they emphasise the complex side of the quartet. The Muse comparison is most apt on the title track and instrumentally a soundscape.

Bat Wings is immaculate engaging Prog and Ghost Variations is epic in scope. The whole album is a truly splendid listen. I admire the scope and arrangements that seem too expert to be a part of a debut. An unbelievable piece of work.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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

Droids Osaka - Closer To The Credit Roll

 

There is a question that I ask again. Why are the Canadians so good at Power Pop? Here's another band to be introduced to you. A Trio from Hamilton that master Classic Pop, but aren't afraid to step down noisier streets, particularly as the album progresses.

You wouldn't be wrong to think the band were an 80s Japanese Synth band when looking at their name. Indeed, the opening 39 Second song, Theme From Droids, is all 80s New Wave, but that ends there by launching into the excellent turn of the 70s, US Power Pop of Bits & Pieces that you can hear on the current Listening To This Week Playlist.

Moving Too Fast follows on and is more early Weezer and you realise that you are listening to a great Power Pop album. It has all the pre-requisites, killer riffs, a big sing along chorus and a breakout Guitar solo. The album is a fine summer  toe tapper.

Feeling Again sounds like the genre's current revival, but also has a tint of UK Glam Rock, particularly with the hand claps. Rocked up a little without losing sight of the melody. Get Up Get Up may be the best song here, certainly the best chorus. At times, it sounds like a Pop Punk band that has aged and got poppier.

The final two songs take on a different direction. Dirty Lines is much more in your face akin to the great stuff that is coming out of the Medway scene presently. You Want It, We Got In is pacy and more Punk and a frenetic listen that works just as well as what has gone before. Closer To The Credit Roll is a corking upbeat listen. Well done you three!

You can listen to and buy the album here. It certainly deserves a Physical Release.

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

Swive - Stereophonic Stylings Volume 2

 

I adored Swive's 2023 debut album, so much so that it featured in our Best Albums Of The Year. The mix of male / female vocals from Indio Romero and Sidney Merritt worked beautifully. You can read the Review here and now we have Volume 2.

The two singles for the second volume promised much and also underlined the variety that the San Diego band provide. Fading Out is all Buckingham Fleetwood Mac-ish with a great guitar sound and Del Rio is more jaunty Tex / Mex with a wonderful chug.

Swive are not afraid to take chances and change direction, Indeed, one of the best songs here is a rock out, almost Psych, instrumental in Orange Crush. That ability to surprise is key to what they do. Merritt's vocal on the riff led Sky High is exceptional on what is the nearest the band will ever get to an anthem.

Lucky is great Pop Rock and Headlights is great West Coast Rock. Merritt's vocal on the former and Romero's on the latter show the benefit of the shared vocals. Chameleon mixes 90s Alt Rock with Sandy Denny-ish Classic Rock.

Mirrors is even more different with a sort of Red Hot Chilli Peppers opener and the brooding feel, a meandering joy. No Guarantees is built on a killer riff that just grips you and an incredibly strong chorus. Self Sabotage is wonderful jaunty Pop Rock.

The whole album is incredibly strong. Built on a splendid Guitar sound with an ability to go wherever they want to direction wise. I thought it would be difficult to better Volume 1. This has! Different to most around, it is a great listen.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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

Deep Wimp - Longtime Beginner

 

Back to our roots with the great Power Pop that is Longtime Beginner. The Brooklyn quartet can be Classic Power Pop, but also have the ability to step into other directions. This is largely helped by all four being vocalists.

Indeed for all the Power Pop, one of the best songs is the closer Thumbs Up which is looser and more West Coast Rock, Classic Rock even. Wheelhouse has that feel too, although a little slower and more brooding than Thumbs Up.

It is the Poppier moments that resonate most though. Particularly the magnificent opener First-Time Caller, built on a wonderful Power Pop riff and a vocal that is almost Feargal Sharkey. Pipe Dream is a little more laidback, but just as effective.

Giant even gets a little Psych Pop riff wise and shows even more variety, a little Garage feel at times and Bright Balloon gets more classic Power Pop and the four are really good at that too. Loads to like on this really enjoyable listen.

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

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

The Blusterfields - Thoughts & Prayers

 

The Blusterfields have been a watchword for variety since their 2022 debut and with an album a year since, we now reach their fifth and this is probably the album they've always threatened to make. The North Carolina five piece are at the top of their game. 

At their most Poppy perhaps, they still offer up a heady collection of Pop Rock, Power Pop and Psych Pop and retain their social conscience. When the single, Mr Secretary appeared on a recent Listening To This Week Playlist, many of you remarked on how XTC it sounded.

They've also had that in them and here there are four or five songs that fit that category, all would fit on latter-day XTC albums, most notably the magnificent Juniper Tree. But these lot are no XTC copy band, there is far more than that to enjoy.

There is the splendid Psych Pop depth of Goldenrod, the New Wave opener Any More, which is a little vintage Vegas With Randolph and the cross between Garage Rock and Glam Rock that is I've Never Been To Detroit.

Elsewhere, there is the joyful Guitar Pop of Title Town and the moodier broodier of Inches Away and the UK New Wave groove, of Here Come The Idiots. The latter most describes what the band are lyrically about, anti-fascism that is dressed up in a great arrangement.

Thoughts & Prayers is beautifully arranged and performed. Largely Guitar Pop and of the highest quality. The band have a way with a lyric and an instrumental change of direction. Album Of The Year potential without a doubt.

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

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

Listening To This Week Playlist 6 July

The LTTW Playlist returns after a rare week off with 29 songs and kicks off July for us (at last I hear you say). 29 splendid examples of why new music is so vibrant at the moment. The habit of having something really interesting to close, continues. The focus for us over the rest of the week is a catch up on Reviews.

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 those who appear here. 

Swive - Headlights

Deep Wimp - First Time Caller

Andrew Weiss And Friends - This Parking Lot Has No Vacancy

Elephonic - The Party

The Acrobats - Ophelia

Sparkle Blood - The Fridays Of Our Lives

Change Life - From Zero To One

The Chutes - Scraping The Last Bits Of Light

The 286 - Midnight Symphony

Something Sneaky - Stevie's Here

Ghost Of Vim - Best Of Times

Ghost of Vim · Best Of Times

Droids Osaka - Bits & Pieces

Marble Jets - Feelin' Alive

The Regulars - Gotta Wait

Ancient Waves - Devil's In Me

Hoaster - Around The Sun (Live At 13 Sound Studios)

Telematch - We Are Here

Cold Shoulders - Eye For An Eye

Alley The Band - Fantasize Romanticize

Space Jaguar - Please Come Around

Dreamy - At Close Range

ELIKSA - Only A Matter Of Time

Oski XD Doski - Sweet Sister Green Jeans

Brother Dynamite - Better

Jensyn - Trust

With Brevity - Street Lights

Wild Oceans - I Don't Need You

Suneaters - Bedhead

Bleu Reine - Cavalier Seul

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

Welcome To July

 

Welcome To July!

You may have noticed that we've been a bit quieter through the last couple of weeks. There is a reason for that. We are used to seeing 200,000 views per month and can handle that, but June went crazy. There were 700,000 views in the month. It is brilliant that there is so much interest in new music, but that amount of views leads to a massive amount to deal with behind the scenes. Through answering messages and emails and the increased submissions.

It has coincided with my real life work being extremely busy. It is Sports related and the World Cup has brought challenges there. So I've tried to calm things down a little. Hence missing a Listening To This Week Playlist this week and the Reviews being a little lighter. I have a week's leave next week which means the catch up will be thorough.

Some of you may know that it is I Don't Hear A Single's 10th Anniversary on 19 July. It is the longest that I've stayed with anything music wise and I'm proud of what we have achieved. It was planned to have a week of Live Sessions, some are already in, but the surge has left us lots to do on that score and it makes sense to plan that for later in the year in September. We will mark the anniversary with a simple Thanks post.

We are not going anywhere, it's just that the volume has caught us off guard and we need to get back on track. Where we are now to where we began in July 2016 is amazing and a testament to the new and underappreciated artists that we cover. I don't expect another month like July, it seems like an outlier, and it has been so pleasing to see older Reviews come to the fore again.

This is just an explanation of where we are currently at and a thank you for all the support that we get.

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