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Monday, 23 December 2024

The Sugar Hold - QUICKIE EP

 


I have one regret about the new EP from The Sugar Hold and that is that it isn't a full length follow up to last year's SWEET. Everyone knows how much I love this type of Pop Rock with its emphasis on Pop. The New York five piece's emphasis is very much on All You Need Is Fun.

But I do get a bit angsty when I talk to peers about them when they say what a great singles band they are. Every song they offer up fits as a single, so how the hell can they not be known as a longer form band. Every song is a winner and there is a surprisingly large amount of depth and changes of direction in their songs.




On first listen, they appear to be great melodic Pop, but repeated listens reveal how much goes into each song. It is easy to fall in love with Mikey Baish's vocal, it is so easy on the ear, but it is instrumentally and arrangement wise where these songs excel.

Beautifully performed, here are four nuggets that are essential listening. I haven't heard a better Pop Song than Olga this year. A real Let's Party thing that just changes direction at will with wit and pace. The other three songs come close, but this is the one for me.




Well Qualified has big hints of UK Glam Rock and continues the fun, it is also gets slightly Power Pop with Handclaps and the Power Pop drum beat. That drum beat is pretty regular across the EP, but this isn't a Power Pop album. This is the most straight ahead of the four songs.

You've heard Ooh La La on the Listening To This Week Playlist and this is the rockiest thing on show and adds a killer Guitar solo that is part Surf and Part Rock and Roll. I'm Free closes the EP and the Guitar Riff is wonderful.




I'm Free reminds me a little of Vanilla on the verse, but the multi vocal chorus is extra-ordinarily good. A killer chorus on a release that has them everywhere. It takes hard work to be this good and I haven't even mentioned how lyrically adept the songs are. Absolutely Splendid!




All four songs are embedded here, so you now head off and buy the EP here.

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