Motorists - Never Sing Alone

 

Motorists have become one of my favourite Guitar Pop bands. As I mentioned in my review of their second 2024 album, Touched By The Stuff, the development of the Toronto quartet was plain to hear, with its bigger production. You can read my review here.

That album featured heavily in our Best Albums Of 2024 and album No 3 continues those strides forward, adding even more variety and strings to their bow without ever losing sight of their Power Pop excellence. There is a smoother mellower vibe at times here and it complements those strengths wonderfully.

Diogenes gets all UK C86 Pop and Anomaniacs goes Jangle Pop, whilst Man In The Circular Window ventures into pastoral gentle 60s Psych Pop. These three songs are in the middle of the album, showing that this is no front loaded affair.

Next Blue Kings isn't a million miles away from Squeeze or Crowded House with its hypnotic riff and killer bassline and Scattered White Horses is great classic Power Pop. The Damage even enters UK Glam Rock, very Chinn and Chapman.

Cristobal opens and is pacier, more Indie Rock and an R.E.M. reminder instrumentally. PCSD takes that vibe even further, it could easily be a song on the IRS label, more street vocally. The closer, Reprise< could be Dropkick or modern day Teenage Fanclub. Motorists are a band that keeps on giving.

You can listen to and buy the album here. The Vinyl can be bought here.

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Lone Assembly - Knots & Chains

 

We don't usually go for something so Synth 80s heavy, so many do it and it always seems to sound the same. But Swiss quartet Lone Assembly show how great this genre can be in the right hands. Knots & Chains never sticks in one area alone.

There is the straight ahead, but also departures into Post Punk, Goth, Darkwave and Pop allow the band to stretch themselves. At times you are reminded of Japan, but also Sisters Of Mercy and A-ha. There is even an Ultravox vibe at times, a darker one maybe.

The arrangements are hypnotic, beautifully arranged and in keyboard player, Raphael Bressler, they have an extraordinary vocalist. His vocal resonates splendidly, it is totally engrossing. On Call Of The Swift, it even gets close to Bryan Ferry.

The songs are soundscapes that allow that vocal to thrive and boy, does it thrive. When the instrumentals are more laidback, it allows that vocal to come front and centre, such as on You're Pulling At The Same Strings and A Dark Score. The latter is epic.

Although the Synths denote the genres, the other three band members shouldn't be ignored. The rhythm section is awesome and when Glenn Le Meur's Guitar takes hold, you note that there is far more to this foursome. They are a sum of their parts, but that vocal is to die for.

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

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The Dream Machine - Fort Perch Rock

 

New Brighton five piece The Dream Machine offer up their third album and it is a belter. There is something about the Wirral bands that may come from the River Mersey. They master gentle Psych whilst are able wholeheartedly to garner the Guitar Pop that resides across the water.

The single, Things That Make Us Cry, previewed this strength, part The Coral but with a Power Pop beat, a wistful joy, laidback, yearning and incredibly hypnotic. There is plenty of that here, but also plenty that isn't. 

The Dream Machine · Flowers On The Razorwire

Duck Bone Fever is a heady mix of 60s UK Beat and Garage Psych, yet I Had A Friend is very close to Merseybeat. Night Owls is moody and magnificent, yet The Best Days Of Life is Acoustic Folk or even Americana.

The First Bird instrumentally could be Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, wonderfully so, haunting almost. The title track allows the band to break out, approaching 60s R and B with magnificent Guitar solos that match the driving organ amidst the all together now feel.

The Dream Machine · Duck Bone Fever

My personal fave is Flowers On The Razorwire with its jauntiness and La's like vocal. It has a killer chorus. But the album itself is a splendid affair. It shows its influences, but also shows the band revelling in their own sound. Highly Recommended.

The Dream Machine · Things That Make Us Cry

You can listen to the album here. You can buy the physical album everywhere.

Quinn Hawkins - Eccentric

 

Well into our 10th year, this like going back to the beginning, the sort of thing that I Don't Hear A Single was built on. It is astonishingly great, Intelligent Indie, but much more than that. Pop Rock of the highest order. What an essential listen this is.

San Francisco's Quinn Hawkins has hit our sweet spot. At times, it is Brit Pop, but most of all, in many others it is Andy Partridge-esque in both the second half of XTCs career and even Dukes Period. It is wonderfully put together with unexpected arrangements.

It stays wonderfully melodic, equally adept at both Piano Pop and Psych Pop. There isn't a duff song amongst the 11. Even a more straight ahead song such as Different Level Of Hell should just be Piano Pop, but the instrumentation takes it into greater depth, particularly with the Guitar work.

Nothing Seems To Kill Me Now starts as a sort of Geeky ballad, but turns into a wonderfully gentle Psych Pop arrangement. Cleaning Out My Mind is Brit Pop, but with another splendid arrangement. Indeed, a lot of songs become something else has they progress. This adds stellar closing harmonies.

But is the XTC comparisons that resonate the most. We don't have miss them and this is as near as you are gonna get. You'll have heard I Can't Wait To Go Bed Every Night on the current Listening To This Week Playlist and it's a cracker.

But that is matched by both (Back Off) I'm On Vacation and Souvenir In The Dirt. These are masterful slices of Guitar Pop. This is one of those albums that you just can't believe has come into your possession. Album Of The Year potential? You betcha and we are only mid March.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It cries out for a physical release. 

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Listening To This Week Playlist 16 March

  

That week went quick! The maximum 30 songs this week as we again offer up what we are known for with plenty of surprises. A great range and an even greater listen. Thanks to The Collective for the updated LTTW Logo.

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 those who appear here. 

Fingerless - Portfolio

Quinn Hawkins - Can't Wait To Go To Bed Every Night

Midland Railway - All Day Epic Warhammer

Midland Railway · All-Day Epic Warhammer

The Junior League - I Hate To Break It To You

The Junipers - When She Turns

Mod Lang - What I Can't Have

The Invisible Man - Lollipop Bridge

You Filthy Dog - Good Good Good Good Day

Lone Assembly - Call Of The Swift

Roots Asylum - The Wedding Song

Roots Asylum · The Wedding Song

The Opening - Bad Dream

Dust Star - Big Smash

With Radiant Action - Temporarily

The Rockyts - Wonder

Alex James - Figure It Out Now

Shaky - Take It Away

Softjaw - Working Too Hard

The Pretty Flowers - To Be So Cool

Lips Speak Louder - Y Control

TAILLEUR STRETCH - You Don't Live In My Heart Anymore

TAILLEUR STRETCH · You don't live in my heart anymore

Cypress, Mine! - Black And Blue

How I Became Invisible - Prompt Critical

Keeley - Hungry For The Prize

Mark Ward - Point Blank

Tablefox - Into Your Eyes

Wet Denim - Living Room

The Mosfets - Take A Chance

Mutant-Thoughts - Syzygy

Mutant-Thoughts · SYZYGY (Radio Edit)

Youth Valley - Cerberus

Shortout Kid - Pet Song

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A Quiet Weekend

 

Yes, it has been quiet here this weekend. So we are now 2 albums behind on the 31 In 31 after today. I do have a great excuse. There is so many albums to listen to that Saturday and Sunday have been spent doing just that. 

There are now 55 albums awaiting Reviews, plenty are not yet released, but plenty are, so there are definitely going to be more than 31 reviewed this month. The back end of the day has been spent getting tomorrow's Listening To This Week Playlist ready and that is an absolute cracker.

There is better news. I am free all next week, so the catch up will be again in earnest.

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The Junior League - The Moon Neither Noticed Or Ignored

 

I've been a fan of The Junior League for what seems forever, first as a listener, then as a writer. Joe Adragna has always been present particularly on the solo efforts of Anything Should Happen and then here. The guest appearances here, reveal the love that other musicians have for him.

Jay Ferguson and Scott Sutherland make guest appearances and JJ Murphy co -writes and plays on three of the songs. 20 years on, Adragna is as interesting now as he ever has been. The variety and ease of style and genre switching is totally admirable.

He is equally at ease with something like the straight ahead Petty-esque Rock of Matter Of Time, yet can come up with something as massive as Forget Me Forget Me Nots which builds and builds with a magnificent string arrangement courtesy of Michael Giblin.

Just As Long As I Have You feels very Country Rock, but as a wonderful Jangle to it, particularly on the solo. Waiting For You mixes Classic Rock with something that would be at home on Stiff Records. I Am Gonna Fight is built around a killer Taxman bassline with a great Psych Pop solo.

I Hate To Break It To You is surprisingly heavy, moody. very Psych and right up my street. It may be the best thing that Adragna has ever come up with. Power Pop lovers will adore Sunset Park. The Junior League never come up with the ordinary, this album is as great as Day 1, 20 years ago, perhaps even better.

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

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