Defecting Grey - Pivotal

It's great to hear New Jersey's Defecting Grey again, so soon after Circuits. They are a Power Trio of extreme quality. Up and at 'em for the majority of the time. The mix of 90s Indie Rock is as present as ever, maybe more so.

Although, there is also an 80s Indie feel at times, think the likes of I.R.S. The riffs are enormous and riveting as are the Guitar solos, but there is a real Power Pop feel to the rhythm section, never more so on The Difference Engine which certainly gets the juices flowing,

The Power Pop is still present, fitting with the noisier version that has reinvigorated the genre, particularly on Major Minor with its awesome Guitar solo. You can only imagine, here in the UK, what a live act the three provide with all the energy on Pivotal.

The Rhythm section of Mike Polilli and Vince Grogan are at their peak on the Rockiest song here, Pivotal and the Psych Pop interludes make me so happy. This is singalong stuff despite its pace and noisier feel. The riff on Signal Noise rips straight to your brain as does the solo and the closing outro. There are even three engaging instrumentals, all under a minute, that underline the band's power.

CJ Grogan is a superb Guitarist and vocalist. Pivotal is a little Rockier than you might expect on here, but it is a cracking listen. The sheer energy and Pace rattles your dentures at times providing a great more than worthwhile listen.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Homework - Bang Here If Stuck

Glasgow's Homework come across as an excellent Indie 90's quartet that found their home in Brit Pop. The songs fit that well at times, but there is much more to them that. There seems a restlessness that reaches for much more and repeated listens reveal that to be the case.

A song like Hedge Your Bets is rough and random, wonderfully noisy and schizophrenic in a way that makes your ears prick up. To follow that with the 80s Guitar Pop of Some Kind Of Magic which is a little Lloyd Cole at times, shows the band's scope.

Then there's the 90's College Rock of Roadhouse, all fuzz, that is completely different to the opener, Heroes Welcome, that is instrumentally like early Teenage Fanclub with a slightly Madchester vocal. You realise that Bang Here If Stuck is no ordinary listen. 

Both ASAP and Made give the Brit Pop feel, but Salt is wonderful Jangle Pop. GVB is splendid noisy Fuzz Pop showing another dimension to the band. Ending Song adds to the variety with its meandering riff, approaching 5 minutes long, it is superbly ramshackle.

I suppose many will ram the album into Pop Rock, but there is much more than tat here. It is well arranged and produced with a ton of ideas, songs taking different directions and an admirable earthiness. Credit too tp Meritorio Records for another outstanding release.

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

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The Goods - Goodbye Summertime

 

I've said it before, but Dandyboy Records is probably the best label around at present. It is a labour of love for Bobby, but the quality is constant, hard to achieve with the volume of releases. Rob Good's The Goods may be the best of all of them, but then again the Softjaw album is released a week today.

The debut album, Don't Spoil The Fun, was third in our Best Albums Of 2025 and could have easily topped it in a really strong Top 10. You can read the Review here. Less than a year later, comes the follow up and it matches if not betters that debut.

Goodbye Summertime is more of a Solo affair with some stellar guest appearances. It also feels less Power Pop, concentrating on big harmonies and bigger arrangements. It feels more Pop Rock, but it still Jangles and isn't frightened of the straight ahead.

Those harmonies are stellar, a little West Coast at times, layered to perfection, aided by top class arrangements. The title tells you that the Summer has ended, but the feel is still there despite a slightly melancholic feel to the lyrics.

The debut allowed you to admire the Jangling and the Power Pop. Here, the more laidback songs resonate most, Punchball being the standout with the amazing instrumentation. But the Power Pop is present, Driving and Wing being the best examples.

Yet Good is just as at ease with the moody such as the Acoustic, Waiting and Sleepytime is a wonderful closer and contains a wonderful Psych pop riff that lights up the anthem. Rob Good revived classic Power Pop on the debut, here he takes melody into a wonderful soundscape.

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

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Bagful Of Beez - In Parallax

Although a fan of The Meanies, I properly first got into Lindsay McLennan via Tomorrow People and the wonderful Shining album in 1997. One look at his Discogs page will show many of his adventures, but he will be forever known as Link Meanie, the front man of The Meanies, Australian national treasures.

The band are close to completing their 4th decade. Known for Punk, there is a copy element at times, short songs that never extend their welcome. Bass Player, Wally Meanie (Kempton) is noted for Cheersquad Record, a label that is exemplary in celebrating the Australian music scene.

Link McLennan as he is known here has never been afraid of genre swapping and Bagful Of Beez are a delightful listen. Now a proper band for the second album, the first being a McLennan solo affair, the concentration is largely intelligent Pop Rock, but also a testament to his adventures across his career.

Wonkavision, for example, is glorious Psych Pop. Yet, Keep Up The Joneses is great Beat Pop. Smart Enough To Know I'm Stupid is glorious Brit Pop and the title track is wonderful Dream Pop. You now must realise that In Parallax is full of variety.

Bliss And The Abyss closes the album with a glorious instrumental, cinematic, part New Wave, part Telstar and Reach For The Stars is Glorious Pop. Odd Couple is 60s Easy Listening and Meghan Maike's sugar sweet vocal turns the slightly Space Age Fever Dream into great Pop, McLennan singing a killer chorus.

There's not a duff song among the 13 here and no song is like the last. McLennan's songwriting is at a peak. The band is a complete unit and the arrangements are inspired. The whole thing is filled with joy and underlines what a career, that McLennan continues to have. Absolutely Splendid!

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

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David Myhr - Everything Is About You

And finally for tonight, a review from my long time friend and Anything Should Happen compatriot, Nick Fletcher. We see each other less since he moved to Sweden, but the bond forever remains.

Swedish band, The Merrymakers, led by David Myhr released two excellent powerpop albums in the 90s, he second of which, Bubblegun, was co-produced by Andy Sturmer of Jellyfish. Thirteen years after Bubblegun came David’s first solo album, Soundshine and this was followed seven years later by the next album Lucky Day. 

Both albums are chock full of infectious hook-laden pop songs and come highly recommended. It’s been eight years since the last album, during which time David has suffered and recovered from a stroke and become a father in his 50s. 

“Everything Is All About You” doesn’t take a backward step in his quest for writing perfect pop songs. There is a celebration of parenthood with the whimsical “Doodlebug”, but nothing negative related to his illness.

It opens with four blasts of sunshine pop wearing all influences proudly on its sleeve. You can pick out Jellyfish, Beatles, Beach Boys, ELO and others, but it is a celebration of their styles and never a pastiche. The opener, “Say Yes” is probably the most Jellyfish-like solo song he has written.

“Summer Summer Summer” is aural sunshine topped off with wonderful harmonies.

Many of the songs on the album are co-written with luminaries like Bill DeMain (Swan Dive), Linus Of Hollywood and Brad Jones (producer of Imperial Drag and Cotton Mather’s “Kontiki” among others). These influences help add variety to the proceedings and the sunshine pop openers are followed by the melancholy, but oh so impressive, Brad Jones collaboration “Crystal Is Thinking Of Something”.

The album continues with more great pop songs punctuated with the American Song Book influenced “Continental Drifter”. The harmonies are ever-present and keep you engaged throughout. The album wraps up with a beautiful ballad that you could imagine Paul McCartney could have penned on a Beatles album.

It’s an album that should bring a smile to any listener’s face with its singalong choruses and sublime harmonies – every day can be a summer’s day! It is available digitally here.  Physical copies can be bought here. 

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Summer Sleeves - I'm Shelling Real Daggers

 

The third album from Seattle based Jeremy Wayne's Summer Sleeves and it offers up Classic Power Pop. Largely, a solo affair with Ethan Jones on Bass on half the songs and a guest Brass section. It sounds very 70s UK New Wave at times.

There is a real charm in the arrangements, encompassing Power Pop across the ages, real variety across the songs. There is a Costello or Parker feel to Goodmorning, Sun (Dandelions), the keys make it a little lighter feel to both, but the general feel is one of 1977.

Vocally, Wayne is aided by having a slight growl, which takes it away from the often too sweet Power Pop vocal. There is also a difference to other albums in the genre, there is no front loading, in fact the album gets better and better as it progresses. 

The keyboard sound at times sounds slightly US New Wave, but the instrumental arrangements are stellar. Tiny Violins is a rare slowing of the pace, great atmospheric Piano Pop, short but incredibly sweet. The Brass arrangement on The Hurt Can You Do is almost Revue style with a laconic vocal.

Might Have A Friend is great 70s Pop Rock, Anywhere, Anytime sounds a Little Rock and Roll and the kitchen sink production on Simple Matters is joyous. The whole album is incredibly endearing, a joyous listen that shows that music can be fun as well as catchy.

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

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Stephen Egerton - I Think You're Overthinking This

 

Welcome to something wonderful. Most will know Stephen Egerton from The Descendants and immediately wonder what Hardcore Punk is doing on I Don't Hear A Single. Well, this is nothing like Punk, a heady mix of Indie Rock and Power Pop.

It is a Guitar album, splendidly upbeat, built on big riffs, great solos and killer choruses. The quality of the songwriting, the sheer singalong readiness is a joy. At times, it sounds as if it is from the scene that followed R.E.M.'s explosion, but a much chirpier listen.

Egerton's wife treated him to four days in Abbey Road for his 60th Birthday and he utilised the time to record his debut solo album and it is a true solo album, he plays everything. He decided to use songs that just wouldn't fit The Descendants and how grateful we are.

There is a feel of Bob Mould at times, but a far more melodic Mould. There is a delightful Twang to Stalwart Figure and Roland Grace is a stunning single. The album reveals a lyrical adeptness, never more so on that song which is real storytelling stuff.

The album doesn't come up for air and there is no quality drop among the 10 on show. Bottom Of The Heart's intro hints at something more laidback, but that goes all Electric. The pace throughout is joyous and Effigy even sounds a little Rockpile. I just didn't expect this and I do hope it's not the last time that he visits Power Pop.

You can listen to and buy the album here. You can buy the Vinyl here.

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Tamar Berk - The Restless Dreams Of Youth : The Demos

 

I wouldn't normally go for a set of demos, but this is Tamar Berk. Five albums in Five Years, all of them featuring in the I Don't Hear A Single Best Albums Of The Year. She is an incredible Singer Songwriter and it is nice to revisit the album that started it all. 

She has also moved on on every single album and produced some stellar Live Performances. Even considering the joy of all the following albums, this is probably my favourite, simply because of the impact that it had when I first listened to it.

I noted at the time that we appeared to be a boys club at times and I have to think that this album changed that. So much so that female artist featured included a big female presence including Tamar. It was delightful to see and hear.

A debut album can be deceiving with so many songs at times being readied up to that point. But the back catalogue now proves the talent has not lessened as her career has progressed. She is also quite unique in the way she appreciates the attention that she gets. 

There is an earthiness to the demos, particularly on Heavy & Abusive. The demos sound even more heartfelt than the finished songs. A little more sparse, but in truth, not a million miles away from the final result. Lower key, but only the instrumentation and the production varies.

Better Off Meditating still sounds as good as when I first heard it five years ago. For the embeds, I've returned to the three embeds that I used for the original review. You hear the beginnings of the major talent that she is.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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