Supercrush - SODO Pop

 

Seattle's Mark Palm had spent most of his time in much noisier affairs, gradually mellowing to Shoegaze with Modern Charms. Then a series of great Power Pop 7 Inch singles appeared periodically under the Supercrush banner. Palm is the man behind Supercrush.

Those four singles were gathered together with two bonus tracks on 2019's Never Let You Drift Away. SODO Pop is Supercrush's first album proper and sees the sound further expanded here with the addition of Pedal Steel, courtesy of Jay Kardong, meaning even more variety.

Here, the band are right bang in the middle of The Posies and Teenage Fanclub without ever really landing on one or the other. I Can't Stop Loving You is the nearest they get to TFC and On The Telephone, the nearest to The Posies. 

But Supercrush are no one (or two) Trick Pony. Grace is very much in Cheap Trick Territory and Fair-Weather Fool is great 70's Pop Rock, also bearing comparisons to The Explorers Club and When I'm Gone is a gentle West Coast joy.

On When I'm Gone there's a lovely Pedal Steel accompaniment, ditto on Have You Called Him By My Name when there is a weeping quality added to the Jangle. A shout out also to Bob Reed for a superb solo on Get It Right, the opening track of the album.

There is a great balance here between the riff led songs and the quieter moments. Both work and in a year, affected as it has been, that hasn't been awash with killer riff led Pop Rock releases, SODO Pop is right up there as one of the best. I've chosen three of the pacier songs (as I would), but the whole album is worth a listen to convince you to spend your pennies or cents. 

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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