The Feeders - Dark Days

 

Sam Vicari is a fine songwriter who seemed to eventually find the ideal vehicle for the songs in The Feeders. Vicari, Alex Rackow and John Perrin fashion up great Guitar Pop. Although they preceded the new wave of noisier Power Pop, they certainly sound at home there.

The Trio are some damn melodic, but wrap that in crunchier guitar that takes them into Indie Rock territory at times, but you sense that their heart lies in Power Pop. The Power Pop rhythm on Congratulations, By The Way is a joy to listen to and what a Guitar solo!

However, they can move the dial. Permanent Blackout is much darker, edging into Grunge and Level Zero is pure early Weezer and Sara, You're My Saviour is great Slacker Rock and I do love the way they use a comma in their song titles.

If you want them to Rock Out with a hint of Jangle, then here's Out To Rot. Why Do We Fight is almost anthemic with its Guitar chorus solo. Yet, Fruit Flies is so damn hypnotic, built around a simple riff and a heartfelt vocal.

Mrs Duluth News Anchor sounds very early Teenage Fanclub, superbly so and Benevolent is nearer classic Power Pop with some great call and response. The lyrics may be dark, but instrumentally, the album is particularly splendid. A top notch affair!

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

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Love Hearts - Love Hearts Forever

 

All the way from Oslo, we have Love Hearts. Mikel Clelland is no stranger to the scene as a member of both The Hallingtons and The Lemonaids. Both bands mastered a sort of poppier sounding Ramones, firstly via Norway and then the Glasgow scene.

Love Hearts is Clelland with Mike DeeCrack on Drums. The Ramones feel is less prominent, exchanged for really enjoyable Bubblegum Power Pop. Classic Power Pop, simple but incredibly effective and so damn catchy. 

Sugar Sugar opens and tells you all you need about the band. Songs largely about love and built around verse, verse, chorus, verse, killer chorus middle eight etc, but they are such a fun listen, you find yourself singing along in a heartbeat.

The standout is Occupy My Heart which ends more into early Weezer and their like territory. It is a great Power Pop song, but the whole album is a hoot. It doesn't vary much, but you don't really want it to as the joy it brings is something much needed in these crazy times.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Jay Cavalier And The Band - The Big Light EP (Free Download)

 

I had a conversation with an old friend at the weekend and he was telling me how useless the EP is in 2026. I hear similar things from the album is done brigade and I disagree with both vigorously. The Playlist will one day be less sexy. It isn't, as many say, the replacement of the album or the necessity for a single. I'll go into why more fully in the future.

Jay Cavalier is an example of how important, the EP can be. A single obviously open doors a little, but how many great songs have you heard that lead you to an album that is really mediocre? If someone can hold your intention over three songs, then there's a reasonable chance that they will hold your attention for much longer. Plus make the three songs free to download and many bases are covered.

Pontificating over, The Bad Light is an incredible listen. It is DIY, put wonderfully engaging and these three songs stand up with anything. It was the submission of the title track that brought me here and if something resonates, I will look further.

The Big Light as a song, sounds very UK New Wave, the type that came out of Punk when bands realised they had to learn their instrument more and sing something catchy. Cavalier's vocal sounds best on this, a voice that adapts across both UK and US scenes. 

Waiting For The Rain is more American sounding, but also the path that New Wavers like Graham Parker took in the 80s, it has a great weeping Piano in the background and a fine sax break and a great Riff. It is a real songwriter telling a story vibe.

House Of Mirrors has an earthier vocal, but again has a sort of US feel that became more and more popular in the 80s Indie band. Beautifully played based around a cracking twanging riff. I think the future is bright for Cavalier, even in his 30s. I really do hope so. That twanging riff on House Of Mirrors promises much.

You can listen to and download the EP here.

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Bleu - Sargeant Pepper Grinder

I have been a Bleu fan forever. From Headlong onwards and it probably makes us both feel old to realise that was 26 years ago. I've played Redhead constantly since its release and also followed his side projects. L.E.O. 's Alcapas Orgling and The Major Label's Aquavia.

The former sounded more like ELO than ELO at times and the latter remains one of my favourite albums ever. The tie up with Mike Viola and Ducky Carlisle is amazing melodic pop and Ducky is one of the people remembered on this album.

https://bleu.bandcamp.com/track/start-a-band

As a side issue, I'm often asked where the I Don't Hear A Single name came from. Many get the Tom Petty Into The Great Wide Open connection and the cerebral twigged in the early years that the place was an Album Review site, although Listening To This Week changed a lot of that.

But the main influence was a song from that album by The Major Labels, a song fittingly called I Don't Hear A Single. I lost touch with Bleu through his Disney years etc, only because it wasn't really aimed at me. I was just happy that he was getting his due worth.

So, it is wonderful to have him back with a full album no less and what a splendid album it is.  It has all the hallmarks of a classic Bleu album. Multi layered, a kitchen sink production, killer choruses and sheer joy. Indeed, his tribute to Ducky Carlisle, Start A Band, could have easily been on Aquavia.

Full of wit, the amazing thing is that he makes the subject matter, Death, Loss, aging so damn catchy. He can also still write a ballad. Where The Colours Bleed is darker and has an exceptional shared vocal with Carly Paige.

He even revives part of Start A Band in Scotch and makes an even bigger statement. The Last Scene Of The Magic Dead is a big 70s Pop Rock moment that treads into Yacht Rock. I'm Not Dead is the big Lighters Out Epic. It is more than a little Todd Rundgren.

But all roads lead to the reprise of the title track. a massive production. It contains everything that covers the great man's career. Beautifully arranged clever Guitar Pop, a raiding of the instrument cupboard, celebrating the now and then. There are some great albums already out this year, but this may be the thing that has delighted me most.  Look out for the hidden track, a real jaunty minute long.

You can listen to and buy the download here. You can buy the vinyl here.

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The Creepy Jingles - Against All Opps

 

For a small label in Kansas City, Enigmatic Brunch don't half release some great stuff from great artists. Wills Van Doorn, Eggs On Mars and now The Creepy Jingles. Described as an EP, but more of a mini album, Against All Opps is so damn catchy.

You will have heard Throw Me In Some Rice on the Listening To This Week Playlist and it's 60s mellotron sound linked to more modern Pop still sounds just as wonderful. Having these songs ready and then having to learn them again and record with a new line up due to departures doesn't show.

Jocelyn Nixon is a fine songwriter, offering up melody and depth and a song like Funhouse Mirror shows a closing surprise with a wonderful Guitar solo. The closer, Nu Fables, also delights with great Pop and sounds more like a Torch song.

Stay High almost becomes a marching song, a reminder of great 70s Pop Rock and You Don't Trend is poppier Slacker Rock with a real lyrical adeptness. I Don't Need A Thing From You is splendid Pop, great New Wave keyboard accompaniment and another fine guitar solo. The whole thing is a joyous listen.

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

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The Temponauts - The Summer Rain Archive

The Temponauts are from Italy and another example of a Listening To This Week Playlist submission leading to us going rooting further and what a cracking album The Summer Rain Archive is. The sort of album that Power Pop has been waiting all year for.

The revival of the genre has largely been due to a meatier sounding version, so it is wonderful to hear something more classic again. Plus, in Backstreets, Freckles, Afternoons they have one of the great Power Pop songs of the year.

But they don't stay in one place, they Jangle a hell of lot, sometimes gently, most times a little more upfront and there are hints of Psych Pop,  Paisley Pop and some great 60s sounding Guitar Pop. The whole album is a feel good affair.

The stand out is how addictive the riffs are, the songs are melodic, but this is a real Guitar album that just drills into your brain. The immersive Guitar Sound matches the choruses, but dominates proceedings throughout, never letting hold.

As a Psych Pop freak, Outer Dark makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. How We Lost The War is cracking Merseybeat and Sunday Eyes goes all Americana. The Girl Who Wasn't There is 100mph joy and Is It You? is Paisley heaven with a hint of UK New Wave.

It may be the Jangle that grabs you most, but the diversions work just as well. 12 songs, not one of them a duff, the album is superb Guitar Pop, played with expertise and depth. A totally splendid listen that demands your attention.

You can listen to and buy the album here. I'm hoping someone like Kool Kat will pick this up for a physical release.

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Motorcycle - Relive It

 

Dandyboy Records are never far from hitting the bullseye and they've certainly got the maximum 50 score with Sacramento Trio, Motorcycle. Most of the Trios that we cover are either Power Pop or Power Trio, these three are neither.

This is great boisterous Pop, Guitar Pop if it weren't for the great 80s sounding keyboard sound that enhances everything. The arrangements are exceptional, as catchy as catchy can be, a little New Wave at times, but the trio are never stuck in one place.

The shared male / female vocal also aids things considerably. Chris's vocal is a little more rock and direct, Kortnee's more Pop, a little Sarah Cracknell at times. The former adds killer riffs, the latter provides a killer rhythm section with Matt. 

Here But Not Here is not a million miles away from New Order, yet Don't Even Try goes all 90s Rock and Forget Who My Friends Are is very close to The Killers. Just For Me is classic Synth Rock and Spinning Out is so 80s and the title track, great Power Pop.

Friday The 13th is like Rachel Sweet leading a synth band and in these days of front loaded albums, it is really pleasing to report that the best listen is probably the 9th song. Get Caught is but around a stomp and it just hooks you. The keyword here is fun and Relive It is absolutely fun packed.

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

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