Barbara - So This Is Living

 

This is a magnificent album, The Denver, Colarado Trio's second album has a soundscape to die for. We also now have covered two Barbaras. The UK outfit specialise in gentle harmonic Pop, the US version have far wider aims.

All three met as Music students at the University of Denver. That classical training and the influences around at the time has allowed the trio to be something much more than the traditional Guitar, Bass and Drums Trio. 

Camilla Vaitaitis's wonderfully breathy vocals are accompanied by Guitar and her Piano Training adds keys. Anna Panella may be the drummer, but her training on Trombone adds a great deal and Bridget Hartman plays Bass, yet is trained on Saxophone.

These multi instruments allow the trio to experiment brilliantly. Plus, having more time on this album than the weekend spent on the debut album, allows a fully fledged listen and the ability to explore unexpected areas. They do this with bravado and experience gained.

Whilst some may label the band Indie Rock, they are a million miles away from what that description would have you believe. There are Prog overtones, songs built on heavy rhythms, but the vocals are as sweet as sweet as can be. You can also hear Shoegaze and Psych, There are hints of Jazz and yet there are also Brazilian Rhythms, particularly with the additional Percussion courtesy of Raul Sanchez.

With the genres covered, don't think that this is some way out album. Every note deserves its place. Instrumentally, the album is untouchable. I have picked my three favourites to embed, but this is an album to be listened to from start to finish for maximum effect. Absolutely Wonderful!

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Listening To This Week Playlist 16 June

 

Later than usual, here are the 27 Top Notch selections that make up this week's LTTW Playlist.  As well as the traditional version, we have put the playlist on Spotify and you will see the link below. Remember this is early days on Spotify, so the following there is nowhere near our one here. 

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 the artists who appear here. 

The Spotify Version

Link To Spotify

The Voltz - New Faces

Hayden Minick - Lewis'

Hayden Minick · Lewis'

Legs On Wheels - Peekaboo

Splitsville - Beth Steel

Barbara - y r u here

American Souvenir - Come Back Down

Ted Bunny - Hot Seat

Heron - Dead To It

The Pseudo Mystics - Heat (Dance Around It)

District 8 - I Wish I Could

Burnt Tapes - You Only YOLO Once

Star Circus - Two Odds Make An Even

Telamor - Feed The Machine

TheoMN - Have We Lost Our Mind

Start Forward - Tightrope

Copacific - The Train / Suki

Cal Twomey - Up In Smoke

Palejoy - Next Goal Wins

Love Party - I Don't Wanna Leave

Cider Minds - Hongcun

Kalmyra - Marina Girls

Washing Machina - Come On

The Dirty Nil - Rock N' Roll Band

thedirtynil · Rock N' Roll Band

Jordyn Rayne - Hellhound

Repeat - Nothing New

SOUNDCLOUD LINK TO FOLLOW

Greg Brady And The Anchors - A Pissing Contest

Thomas and the terrible truth - There is noone in the right mind

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Listening To This Week Playlist Submissions.

I really love what the Playlist has brought to IDHAS. It has added a much wider audience. However we need your help with potential submissions. More and more time is spent gathering song information. Every submission seems to include a Spotify link and we include selections on the Spotify version of the Playlist.

However as door openers and being a long time established without Spotify, most of our success for artists comes from other links. The main playlist features an embed on either Bandcamp, Soundcloud or You Tube. These are places that don't require listeners to join and we feel that easy access is vital to the artist.

We always require an additional link one of those three places is vital, but too often, we have to either root this out ourselves or go chasing for it. We remind submitters to include that additional link as we cannot include a song that is only on Spotify.

Secondly, a big part of getting an artist heard is via social media tagging. The majority of our time on the Playlist is spent hunting out social media links for the individual performers. Prep for this Monday's Playlist has been the worst for time spent for a long while. 

It would be really helpful if submissions included any Social Media links, the tagging is done specifically for the artist's benefit. From next week, any submission accepted will also ask for Social Media links. If they are not provided, we will promote without tagging the artist. 

There is no frustration or angst in these two requests. We simply want to leave as much spare time as possible to review albums and promote artists. With I Do Hear A Single starting around August time, social media link providing will be vital and sp good habits now will allow that place to be as successful and beneficial for artists as we wish it to be.

Thanks as always.

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Joe Giddings - Stories With Guitars

 

I've been with Joe Giddings from the very beginning. I was introduced to the Star Collector debut album, Songs For The Whole Family, just after its 1999 release. It was beloved in Bucketful Of Brains circles. Just one album from them and then Giddings resurfaced on Not Lame (who else?) in 2002 with The JTG Implosion's All The People Some Of The Time.

Both are still played regularly at IDHAS Towers. I also gathered the 4 volumes of the self released download only All Themes Considered between 2012 - 2014. IDHAS started in 2016 after the release of his solo album, Better From Here, earlier in the year.

Joe Giddings made his debut here with the Kool Kat Reissue of Better From Here in 2020. You can read that review here. Keith Klingensmith's Futureman Records label has also done a fine job of keeping all things Giddings alive download wise.

So to 2025 and the excellent Stories With Guitars. All the trademark Giddings strengths are here and more. Often slotted into Power Pop, a genre that doesn't naturally fit as it doesn't with the likes of Cheap Trick, who Rock far more. Giddings strength as a Guitarist allows meatier fayre as well as an ability tread into AOR at times.

Buth there are traits of Jellyfishe her, particularly on You Are The Star and Song At The End Of The World. He also gets instrumentally into the territory of The Darkness on both My Riviera and Adrenalin. But vocal wise, there is ease with fast and slow and there is a real strength in the vocal harmonies.

Songs are written as stories at times and the strength of those vocal harmonies and the instrumentals overshadow how lyrically adept the man is. These 11 songs may be melodic overload, but they are never heads down.

Then there is David Stepanski, as good a Jangle Pop song that you will hear all year. The stand out for me is Pandora's Brand New Box, a Glam Rock gem, a genre that Giddings has also excelled at, that turns into a surprise jaunty Pop Rock sing along. Stories With Guitars is essential listening.

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

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Various - Pop Aid 2

 

We don't normally cover compilations. There is no antipathy towards them in any way, some are really good. Others great and this double CD falls into the great. Our reasons are that with limited space, you can't acknowledge everyone and always feel guilty for those that you leave out. 

We also traditionally embed three songs and so that makes the rest seem less important, when you review a one artist album, that applies less so. But Pop Aid 2 is so much like an advert for what I Don't Hear A Single. We have reviewed and / or played so many of the artists present.

If you want an introduction to Pop Rock and Power Pop etc (and I see many who ask), there is no finer place to start than here. Kool Kat and Thrift Star Halo's Frank Gradishar have gathered together a splendid line up in support of those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

All 23 songs could make up an I Don't Hear A Single Playlist and cover around 80% of what we do genre wise. All the pre-requisites of Melodic Guitar Pop are present from Jangle Pop to Psych Pop, Power Pop to the crunchierangles. Big Riffs and big Choruses are everywhere.

So my 3 choices to embed could have taken on many paths, different styles, fast and slow, but I decided be a bit selfish and concentrate on three artists that have a long association with us. Psych Pop as my favourite genre ever is obviously well represented.

This relies on you to listen to the rest and discover the joy of what Pop Rock brings. Then, hopefully, you will do the right thing and but the CD or download to aid the victims and bag yourself a collection that can be listened to over and over, particularly with Summer here, a season that ideally suits this type of material.

You can listen to and buy the download here. You can by the CD from Kool Kat here.

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Dominic Lavoie - Round Trip

 

I like to think thatI know everything about the genres I cover, I obviously don't and this more than underlined when you listen to an album as wonderful as this. Even more surprising when you discover that this is Lavoie's 7th (count 'em) album.

Portland Maine's Dominic Lavoie is joined by Full On Voltron to offer up one of the great Pop Rock albums of recent times. Beautifully arranged and performed, it sounds so modern and yet equally Retro. Lavoie's dulcet tones dominate the album, but is the arrangements that make the album so great.

From the funk driven opener, 1.21 Charliewatts to the anthemic closer Norumbega, not a minute is wasted, Round Trip is absolute Gold dust. Built on Vocal Harmonies and riffs with massive choruses, it is an album that benefits from raiding the instrument cupboard.

You'll hear Farfisa, Sax, Clavinet and Brass are all present, yet none interfere with the sheer catchiness of song after song. Lavoie is not afraid to include a blistering Guitar solo. Sunkist Bliss 90s Superhaze is an example of this, a song that is in tune with the new breed of Guitar Pop.

Yet at other times, songs are like a bigger sounding Ben Folds or Andrew Gold. There are hints of Glam Rock and Americana.  Instrumentally, Karmic Rodeo sounds like The E Street Band on The River, all mouth organ, keyboard runs and twanging Guitar. 

Martin The Martian, the latest single is flawless jaunty Jangle Pop with a hint of New Wave. But, this is an album to be listened to from start to finish. Maybe the sound of the summer, it certainly is a feel good affair and a joy to listen to. A corking repeat listening singalong album.

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

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M Ross Perkins - What's The Matter, M Ross?

 

After the slightly embarassing self congratulatory 2 million celebrations, it is back to catching up on the backlog of album reviews that we want you to hear about. Who better to start the avalanche than the wonderful M Ross Perkins.

Perkins has the knack of hiding lyrically dept self confessions into great Pop songs. This is his third outing and he is calmly asserting one of the great Pop Singer Songwriters around. Very 60s in vine and Jngling wherever possible.

His last album, E Pluribus M Ross was and still is sensational. It hit our Best 100 albums of 2022, you can read my review here. His third outing feels a little more mellow than the second, but it is stacked high with great great Guitar Pop.

There are also four interupting interludes that break up the album. Recorded old outside segments enquiring What's The Matter With? All unrelated to Perkins, sort of like Frontier Psychiatrist. They should Hittite, but instead drag you in.

These are in complete contrast that the 60s Melodic Pop that surround them. There are diversions of course across the15 tracks. A Date For One is Acoustic and a little Simon and Garfunkel. That's Fine is very West Coast, almost Country, Rock.

Bouquet is a splendidly put together affair, edging into Psych Pop, but covering multi genres, all in just over two minutes. But it the Pop that enthrals most. The jangling Merseybeat of Hey Man/Hey Self, The Beatles 1964 vibe of Gone (In The Morning).

The Byrds like, Crying In My Sleep even gets a little Jeff Lynne. The UK Beat of Spiritual Kick with its Lennon like vocal and there is even an almost Bossa Nova easy listening smoothness to I Feel So Numb. The whole album has the feel of a musician who knows what he wants to achieve and M Ross Perkins does that and more.

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

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Two Million Hits

 

It is gobsmacking to get to 2 million hits as IDHAS approaches its 9th birthday. The second million took just two and a half years. Thanks are to the artists who are covered. There are those who say that there is no great new music. IDHAS is proof that if you find the right artists, there is an engaged audience out there who want to hear and read about it. Thanks to the musicians. This place is about them.

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Listening To This Week Playlist

 

A little earlier than usual, here are the 26 songs that make up this week's LTTW. May the best one yet. As well as the traditional version, we have put the playlist on Spotify and you will see the link below. Remember this is early days on Spotify, so the following there is nowhere near our one here. Only 24 of the 26 songs are available on Spotify.

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 the artists who appear here. 

The Spotify Version    (The Optdemics and Ryan Cassata songs are not on Spotify)

Link To Spotify

Las Gargantas - Profecia Autocumplida

DelCobras - Untied (She's The One)

Shortwaves - History Man

Optdemics - No Good Deeds (Not On Spotify)

Spiders On Drugs - Postcard From Amsterdam

Parent Teacher - Fire Door

Faces On Film - Where Love Goes

Faces on Film · Where Love Goes

Moberod - Pieces

Chatterbox - Dark Days

John Steer - Writing On The Wall

John Steer · Writing on the wall

Flutter - When You Love Somebody

Tin Cry - The Revolution Started (With A Song)

[Eagle Noise] - Joni Mitchell

The Slow Summits - Dream On

The Infamists - Lonestar Woes

SOPE - DYBIRL

The Electric Sons - Don't Need Much

The Electric Sons · Dont Need Much

The Fisherman Three - Out Of Style

Matilda Grace - Not Your Ex Yet!

Shoemaker Levee - The Resistance

Cupid And The Cowboy - Last Of The Red Hot Luvas

A Grieving Mind - My Heartache

Nordic Slang - Clever Cliché

Nicholas Shaw - Lovesick

Ryan Cassata - A Knack Of Overthinking (Not On Spotify)

Lola - I Came Here To Conquer

Lola · I Came Here to Conquer

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The Chemistry Set - An Introduction To The Chemistry Set (2CD)

 

Oh how I love The Chemistry Set. Paul Lake and Dave McLean started out in 1987 and they are still here, offering up delightful Psych Pop. It is also another chance to celebrate Fruits De Mer, a label that is a beacon of light in the UK that blows away the tumbleweed.

Too many people think that FdeM is a label of way out Psych, it isn't at all and this is partially proof .I reviewed the last album from The Chemistry Set, Pink Felt Tip, and it was in our Best 100 Albums Of The Year. You can read that review here.

This double album is a compilation of their intensive career on the label, Selected by the duo and gives a sense of just how Pop they could be especially when they enter Toytown, which they frequently do. Indeed, just listen to Lovely Cup Of Tea and realise how close Toytown could get to Madness.

This Will Never Happen Again is top notch Jangle Pop that sounds New Wave, something that you can imagine Rockville singing. Marvel at the harmonies. Albert Hoffman is magnificent Psych Pop demonstrating and wit as well as just how catchy they can be.

I've chosen three songs that I love. But there is 2 and a half hours of music here to delight in. Included is something from the debut solo releases of both. They are in touch with music across the decades, at times a little Syd Barrett, XTC, Brit Pop etc.

The release will be hard to find now but the likes of Shiny Beast still have copies here. There may also be some in the usual good UK Retaillers. Fear not though, you can pick up the songs and albums on The Chemistry Set's Bandcamp site here.

You can find out more about the set here.

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The Setting Son - Cul-De-Sac

 

Wow! Proving that Caper Clowns are not the only good thing to come out of Denmark are Caper Clowns, of which you will hear more of in the next few days, Sebastian Kristiansen's The Setting Son are back with their fourth album, the first since 2012's Before I Eat My Eyes And Ears.

I thought I had heard the last of them, so you can probably see the smile on my face from wherever you are. A couple of singles have trailed the album on the Listening To This Week Playlist. but I didn't expect as great a returning album as this.

I know many of you know of my love of Psych Pop and this lot took on the mantle of my beloved Orgone Box between 2007 and 2012 with three splendid albums. The best description of what they do is sort of mix Psych Pop with Brit Pop.

Here are three minute songs that never outstay their welcome. Melodic to the extreme with choruses to die for. Beautifully performed and arranged with killer riffs. They are probably the nearest Psych Pop band to Guitar Pop. Any song could be a single.

In a way they are bringing Psych Pop to the masses but the way of UK Beat, Pop Rock and Jangle Pop. Just listen to how anthemic (Do You Want To Know) It is, pure Brit Pop. But then compare it Sleep which is swinging Carnaby Street Psych Pop of the highest order and my favourite thing here.

I Still Can't Decide What I Want is glorious Glasgow second half of the 80s Jangle Pop that adds a blistering Guitar Solo.. All 10 songs will light up your life, an album to listen to from start to finish. I can't put completely into words how over the moon to have The Setting Son back. Better not be 13 years to the next one.

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

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Shortwaves - Mental Health In The Information Age

This is great and back to what we are primarily known for. From Weezer's Blue through to Tsar's self titled debut, a world of wonderful melodic Power Pop was unleashed in the States. Whilst we had Brit Pop over here, the States was less Retro, bringing a Guitar led melodic Pop that made Summer seem like all year round. Some UK bands, such as Silver Sun, got it.

However, this was an American led thing that demonstrated how life affirming Power Pop could be. Pop song were back in focus, aided by the likes of Not Lame and Kool Kat. There's been much less of it since, it has become a forgotten art. Even Weezer seem to have lost the plot.

Shortwaves are a quartet from Dallas, a state not necessarily known for the genre, and they give people who were around in the past, a big poke to realise what fun it all was. But more importantly, this may all be new to the younger audience that we have picked up and I am certain that they will be enthralled.

Mental Health In The Information Age is wall to wall goodness, full of hooks, riffs and big big choruses. Guitar driven without ever being noisy. The pace doesn't let up, it is ace at everything it attempts and the quality control is top notch.

The problem with this sort of album as time went on was one of front loading. Three great opening tracks that became singles with songs that followed being more filler. There's not a bit of that here. Picking any of the 12 songs here as preference would be difficult. Indeed Track 11, Just Like You, may be the best thing on show.

There's even room for an instrumental, Dances With Cats, that is as engaging as what surrounds it. The album takes me back, but also as its place in the now. It is a chance for the next generation to hear something different and even discover that great past. What an absolutely cracking listen!

You can listen to and buy here. 

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Fib - Heavy Lifting

 

You know how much we love Angular Guitar Pop, I've preached about it wherever I've been. Growing up with the early XTC stuff, moving forward to The Sugarplastic and onwards to Field Music and The Futureheads.

It seems a long time since I've heard it, being so immersed in the new, indeed Philadelphia based quartet, Fib's self titled debut album. The follow up here is even more inventive. This sort of thing relies on constant shifting within songs or else it can all sound the same. Fib do this with ease.

PS, for instance, gets very close to Devo, but as you might expect, there are hints of Talking Heads and Discipline era King Crimson. The time signatures are very Prog at time, but yet there is a real melodic feel in all the songs despite the constant changes within songs.

It takes to the closer, Outro, to get near Pop and that is then taken into different directions by the twin guitar attack. Mutuals, the opener, is probably the most accessible, very close to Field Music's early work. But the whole thing is an incredibly inventive listen. Particularly, if you are as much a fan of Indie as Prog, as indeed I am.

This inventive Indie is what I spend of most of my downtime with and few do it as well as Fib. The need for Three Chord Guitar Pop is something to admire, but when a band wants to stretch across genres and surprise you, the applause is even higher here. This is absolutely wonderful!

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

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Smug Brothers - Stuck On Beta

 

Smug Brothers have become the mark of quality. Every album from the quartet is like an urgent debut album. The 2020s have been especially wonderful for them. 2023's In The Book Of Bad Ideas was in our Top 20 Albums Of The Year.

It was an album that provided the Listening To This Week Playlist with constant material. You can read the review here. I stupidly thought that that album would never be bettered by them, yet here we are with them doing exactly that.

There is a real swagger here as though the band know just how good they are and are waiting for everyone to catch up. They are without doubt a Guitar band, riff after riff just grabs you. They are equally excellent at the Angular as they are at Jangle Pop, but they are not afraid of noise, nor edging into Psych. 

The arrangements are awesome, blowing you away. they add surprises such as adding Sax courtesy of Bass Player, Kyle Sowash and turning Cheers To Everything We Used To Do into a Baroque Pop joy. That is a song that mixes Brit Pop with Psych Pop splendidly. 

Sidetrack Ghosts is the nearest that you will get to pure Guitar Pop with a Clash like intro that leads into something poptastic. Arcade Strange is pure Psych Pop and yet Prank Editions stays in the genre with something noisy, 100 mph and totally riffaholic.

There is also the Jangle Pop excellence of Paper Jane and X-Ray Is Everywhere benefits from a top notch instrumental Rock Out. The Noise Rock of Flushing James is another surprise direction. It is however, the noisier riff driven songs that grab me most, always up my street.

Bands are supposed to be great at the beginning and provide diminishing returns as they age. There's a real argument against that theory here. This is how great Guitar led Indie Rock is supposed to be. This album will go far beyond the Top 20 at the end of the year.

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

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T Shirt Month In July

 

This is just an idea at the moment and would depend on interest from artists and labels etc. I've been thinking of doing something to celebrate our 9th anniversary in Mid July. It would have to be something easy to organise as we have so many reviews to put up over the next couple of months.

I get offered T Shirts a lot and usually say no, simply because I don't want artists spending the postage money when they have other priorities. This is particularly relevant to the States, Canada and Australia, areas that IDHAS is incredibly popular.

The idea would be to publish a daily post with me looking all dapper in the said T Shirt. I would also write about the band with each post. Artists or labels would have to fit in with what we cover. Reviewed here already, likely to be reviewed or fit the genres that we cover. 

It is only something different to aid artists and labels and I would only go ahead if enough were interested. It would also have to be July as with August generally being quieter, we will be using the downtime to introduce the new planned features that we have been trying to get on here since February, including the potential launch of I Do Hear A Single.

If you are interested, contact details are all on IDHAS.

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Optdemics - The Atom Complex

 

Portland's Optdemics have fashioned up an album that lives in the second half of the 60s. It could either be on the West Coast or close to Carnaby Street. Jangle fans will aslo adore it as will Medway fans. It is primarily Psych Pop, but also fits UK Beat wonderfully wet.

There are also surprises, splendid Brass breaks out in a few songs and a great heavier Guitar solo can also catch you unawares, such as on Honest Dan. It is at its best when it gets a little trippy and it does so without ever losing the Pop or seeming unnecessary.

Conman at Oktoberfest is much more straight ahead, with a plumier vocal, great female backing vocals and added excellent Farfisa. It is also has a fine Guitar solo that keeps line with the song. The Searchers comes across as very Spygenius, but even heads towards Toyshop.

T Street is top notch Jangle Pop and the Brass arrangement on No Good Deeds is totally engaging, a fine addition to a song that takes quite a few directions. There is so much to like here, beautifully performed and arranged by a band that you suspect have a twinkle in their eye.

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

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Tombstones In Their Eyes - Asylum Harbour

 

We are way behind with Album Reviews. 60 are in draft, but plenty of those are awaiting Release. However, I cannot use that excuse with this gem. I started the review 6 months ago, but didn't write the Title in and shamefully discovered it last week. 

Los Angeles's Tombstones In Their Eyes are a Rock band, but not your ordinary Rock band. They crash over genres, often anthemic, but songs are also often built around a groove, almost Jam like. However the killer for me is the overtone of melodic Psych that overarches most of what they do.

They could be classed as anything due to their adeptness. Certainly Shoegaze, Alt Rock and Psychedelic Rock are well engulfed here. At times, they could be Masters Of Reality, but could also be in the 90s UK Shoegaze scene that predated Britpop.

The vocals are distant and hazy, the sound threatening to become Heavy and Riffs are dominant, they hit one and don't let go. They are also won't to break out on a different noisier Guitar interruption before returning to the fray.

They can break out of the mould. Gimme Some Pain has a much more upfront vocal and gets a little Britpop. I Am Cold is built around a killer, almost Heroes like riff and gets a little Hawkwind. If you want big choruses, this is not the album for you. If you want a full length soundscape that completely sucks you in, this is splendidly so.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl or as a download. The CD is now sold out, but you may fight it around still in decent emporiums. 

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The Friends - Daydreaming

I do like what The Friends come up with. The duo of Ezra Gale and Kevin Woodruff are from New Oregon in New York. Their base is sort of 80s Indie Pop and New Wave, but they stretch much further afield into the realms of Intelligent Indie.

You know how much we love Intelligent Indie and these two can mix it with the best. Whichever angle they come in at, the songs are incredibly catchy with hooks that just grab hold of you and the songs are beautifully arranged.

The variety on show here is incredible, no two songs sound the same. They are bold off to get instrumentally like INXS on Bond with me. Yet that song is bookmarked by the great angular Indie Rock of Glass and the pure laidback Pop of For Your Consideration which is wonderfully melodic.

They are also not afraid of 80s Synth Pop. The closer, Quitting Time has a keyboard run that just absolutely hooks in, The Pop is great too. Daydream is almost Dream Pop, instrumentally very Bates Motel with its bass led run.

But as you might expect, it is the inventive Indie that grabs me most. Crush Season is a wonderful example of late 60s Village Pop, almost Toytown, a little Small Faces. Paralysed gets all Field Music and The Futureheads. 

I'm especially enamoured with Lifeboat, a jaunty singalong pop song lit up by its hippy trippy riff. What a cracking album this is, extremely accessible, yet surprising with the changes of direction. The sort of album that lights up a year. Well done you two!

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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The Velvoids - Jersey Cotton

After all that wonderful noise from Wyldlife, it is nice to go off in a completely different that is equally rewarding. The Velvoids are from Athens, that's Greece, not America and at their heart, they are the multi instrumentalists Vice Lesley and Dorah X.

They do take their time with releases, largely because of other things that they are involved with. They've even worked with our beloved Richard Lloyd in the past. Jersey Cotton was recorded over a four year period, initially in Lockdown.

Initially, lumped in with both Shoegaze and Art Rock, this is neither. It is Psychedelic in feel, whilst also treading into Folk and the more Pastoral. Songs are beautifully arranged soundscapes, sung wistfully mainly by either, both are equally engaging, neither are gonna shout. 

They are left field, but not in a wanky unfocussed way. Indeed, Lake Of Eyelids is a wonderful Joint Vocal that heads into Baroque Pop. Melancholic and intriguing, it is an essential listening and it is always nice to hear the continued comeback of whistling in songs. Just wait for the Fripp like Guitar run.

The album is very experimental, as most things Velvoids are, but it is totally engaging. Lying On A Terrace, sung by X, is all moody, almost desert riff with a delightful Twang. I Wore My Torn Suit when edges towards Pop and breaks out into a great meandering psychedelic riff.

Because I Love Her is moody and magnificent, more Alt Rock at times and is close to the best thing here, very Psych, but with another wonderful Joint Vocal. I know people like to think that I am all about crashing chords, but this is just as great and certainly rewarding as there isn't much around like it. A cracking listen.

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

Wyldlife - Sorted

 

Although there are obvious signs that Wyldlife fit the Wicked Cool label well with their noisy, slightly sleazy. Guitar driven and a hint of Garage Rock, there is much more here to enjoy. In the five years since Year Of The Snake, there seems a change. The New York quartet seem more aligned to the new wave of Power Pop.

And what a wave that is. Power Pop needed change. It had become uncool, sort of laughed at and more interested in celebrating the past than anything that was new. This new breed have brought a noisier scuzzy blend of the genre, more loose and certainly more in your face.

It has become far more interesting. The riffs, melody and massive choruses are still present, but the vibe is more street, more urgent and so you can appreciate that a band as good as Wyldlife but would be great at it and they are with massive interest. 

The rhythm section always needs to be strong and it is here. But this is a Guitar album, a glorious Guitar album built on Riff after Riff and the vocals of Dave Feldman. It is anthemic at times, but always gripping. You can shake your fist whilst singing along. The choruses are totally splendid.

There are exceptions to the Power Pop theory. Generate 2 Terminate is great Garage Rock and Bystander is incendiary with its urgency, part Noise Rock, part Classic Rock and even hinting at Classic Rock. Goes Without Saying even gets close to UK New Wave.

The major stand out is Dizzy, a wonderful example of how engaging Brit Pop can be. Wyldlife are a band who know what they are doing, but I didn't expect all these glorious choruses and it will be high up in our end of year celebrations.

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

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The Shipbuilders - Hills Of Mexico

 

From the banks of the Mersey and a city we like to call Liverpool come The Shipbuilders. We've been fortunate enough to have had plenty of time to listen to their corking second album, This Blue Earth.
That is released on 11 July with an album launch at Bluecoat in Liverpool on 18 July.

Bluecoat Chambers is dear to my heart, a place where I spent a lot of my misguided youth. The album will be reviewed here just after the release date, but the band have released the lead single, Hills Of Mexico. Initially, we were gonna put it on next week's Listening To This Week, but the video is too good to stick in a corner. and deserves a viewing.

The intro beautifully tells you what the song is all about.

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