Upgrading Our System

 

I am upgrading our system after a Network Drive started to reach the end of its life. It's a real chuff moving the music off it and leaving us tight for space elsewhere. So I realised that we were storing 20 years of music from both Anything Should Happen and here. 

In many cases, we had the physical releases which meant downloads were unnecessary and there are albums that we are unlikely to revisit, being as we are a place that concentrates largely on the new. Equipment was so interlocked that the risk of so much storage failing has become a bigger and bigger problem.

I have moved most of the music to other storage areas, but the sorting out of what's what will take a couple of days. So I'll be taking a break from posting until later in the week. However, I will still be listening to Music and choosing what to Review and what to Playlist. This is just an explanation for people who want to know why it is quieter here.

You may want to visit previous reviews and the Listening To This Week Playlists have been really strong. There are lots of Reviews to come and Friday 19th sees the release of five or six exceptional albums. 

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Listening To This Week Playlist 15 September

 

After showing our other sides last week, this week fits more into our usual Guitar Pop and Indie vibe with one or two surprises. 29 songs for your listening pleasure. 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 for us, so the following there is nowhere near our one here. However, Spotify have noticed its growth and asked us to be involved in other things. We have politely declined as we are too busy with all that we do and also value our independence. We have always refused similar requests from other places. 

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 Prize - From The Night

The Sonny Wilsons - Miss Kinetic

Ahhmanda - More Or Less

Teen Creeps - Anywhere

Michael Robert Murphy - Cyclone

The Goods - April Fools (Not On Spotify)

Shaw's Trailer Park - Phone Wars (Not On Spotify)

Next Week's Washing - Empty Pages

Witkin - I Hate My Brain

Mike Dropped - Control These Feelings

Billy Peake With Extra Special - Annie, You're A Lightning Bolt

Sharp Pins - (I Wanna) Be Your Girl

Rex On Demand - White Rose Bleeds

Palm Ghosts - Last of The Hold Outs

Bonus Room - Riot Gear

The Mars McClane's - GO!

The Mars McClanes · Go!

Gabriel Delicious - Who's The Starman Now?

The Unknowns - Ain't What You Want

REDRAW - Real Anymore

REDRAW · real anymore

The Double Happiness - Omnibus

The Violet Twilight - Better Than You

House Of Jed - Never Gonna Be Enough

The Way After - Love Seeks No Easy Way Out

In The Pines - Hide The Sky

Rad9 - Zombie

Larlin - Limbo

Nihil Admirari  - Make Amends

Dan Sindel - Freedom

Jakob Boon - K.O!!!

Jakob Boon · K.O!!!

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Tigers And Flies - Smashing Scene EP

 

There is nothing I like more than intelligent angular Indie, it equals my love of Psych Pop, as Andy Partridge would say, it makes my bamboo curl. Manchester's Tigers And Flies offer it in spades aided by the power and energy of youth.

The EP reminds me of the likes of XTC, The Sugarplastic, The Futureheads and earlier Blur. The five piece also have a secret weapon of Brass which catches you unawares. The Angular Guitar even treads into the likes of King Crimson Discipline era.

The sheer inventiveness just floors me. They even get close to a Pop song with Enoch's Hammer, but their left field intent won't let it stay that way. Going To Bed unleashes their chaotic bent, but also sounds a little New Wave, wonderfully so.

Hulme High Street Ablaze is built around a driving rhythm section, but the real joy is Silver Lashings, if the kids get this, it will make an old man happy. It reminds me of my youth, wonderfully melodic and that Guitar Riff! This is an incredible five piece that can appeal across the generations. Self effacing with serious messages, Tigers And Flies have come up with possibly the best thing that I will hear all year.

You can listen to and buy the EP here. It is something that aches for a physical release and will have a limited Vinyl Release in October.

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Spencer Pope - Dang EP

 

Another Listening To This Week discovery leads to a Review of the EP. Atlanta's Spencer Pope offers up a splendid 5 Track affair. Landing somewhere between Indie Rock and Power Pop with a top notch surprise to close.

Power Pop is best served by the first two songs. The title track is all riff and big chorus that underlines the appeal and joy of the genre. Pope's vocal is a little Petty-esque on this. Can't Touch A Mirage is particularly joyous with its 80s New Wave keyboard sound. The video is on LTTW and is ace.

Let Me Get Back To You is more 90s Indie Rock and that works just as well. Part way through, a Psychy Alt Rock instrumental adds to the excellence of the song. Darling I is more straight ahead Pop Rock, almost Piano Pop, but Pope can't help adding inventive diversions.

Today provides a marked difference and warms the cockles of my heart. It is organised chaos, very Garage Rock with hints of Psych and Noise Rock. It is a big surprise and most welcome, revealing just how inventive the man is.

The whole EP would be fine as a straight ahead thing. But the parts that come from nowhere are inspired. The ability to add synth parts that are far from ordinary makes what is essentially Guitar Pop excellence is to be applauded. A great listen. I can't wait for a future album.

You can listen to and buy the EP here.

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Listening To This Week Playlist 8 September

 

An absolute cracker awaits you this week. 27 songs. We thought we'd try something a little different. The Guitar Pop is usually well up front, but I thought the last couple of LTTWs have seen an emphasis on that. There is still plenty of that genre here, but I wanted to put our love of the left field, Intelligent Indie if you like at the forefront for this one. But we open with Pop Joy!

Also look out for the closer, it blew our mind. I really do think that this playlist is up with the best that we have ever recommended to you.As well as the traditional version, we have put the playlist on Spotify and you will see the link below.  25 of the 27 songs are available on Spotify.

Remember this is early days on Spotify for us, 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    (The James Rocket and Bottlecap Mountain songs are not on Spotify)

Spotify Link

Fragile Creatures - Don't Know What To Do

Tigers & Flies - Silver Lashings

Elena Rogers - When We Were Young

Spencer Pope - You Can't Touch A Mirage

Silk Cut - Good Morning

Peel - Modern Age Family Business

Caleb Nichols - Awooo!

Tom Minor - Next Stop Brixton

Matthew Smith Group - Others

The Spitfires - I'll Never

Smash Palace - Bitter Blue

Odd Robot - Buddy

Mannequin Flowers - Six Words

Commander Pilot - Stereo Woah Woah

Willie Dowling - Long Drop Down

Bottlecap Mountain - Everest (Not On Spotify)

Hufflepuff Heroes - Spoiler Alert (Oh Well)

Jersey Calling - Working Class Punk

Dolo Tonight - Hotel On Your Heart

Dolo Tonight · Hotel On Your Heart

Cheerry Red - Leaving On The Next Train To Boston

Teenage Tom Petties - Hotmail

Dreamcoaster - Dancing To Your Favourite Song

Lunavela - Middle Management Asshole

The James Rocket - Pharaohs (Not On Spotify)

The Fishermen Three - Your World Is Nothing Without You

Slow Code - Company Man

Lozenges - Eat The Smoke

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Tamar Berk - ocd

 

Tamar Berk is probably my favourite discovery on here. I don't meant that her discovery was down to me, I leave that for others to claim, although I suspect it is all totally down to her and since the debut album, it certainly is. I've covered all four albums to this point and I'm here with the 5th. I've been so bursting to tell you about it that I put the album in the current revived Here Is The News feature. I can't think of many artists whose complete solo career I have covered. I've also gone slightly early on Friday's upcoming Release Date.

She arrived at a strange time here in 2021. I got a fair bit of stick for an interview where I admitted that IDHAS was a male dominated affair artist wise. It wasn't in anyway misogynyst, we had covered a lot of female artists, both solo and in groups. I was just reflecting that although we go down many avenues, we will always reflect our audience. We want artists to have doors opened. I've made efforts to prove people wrong since, but I will always cover what I like, be it male, female, alien, but never AI. Tamar's album arrived and I thought, here you go, put that pipe and smoke it. If an album by a male had the arrived with the same quality, I'd have also covered that. 

In she came with a sassy rock attitude, all Indie, but self effacing and reflective and I was hooked. She was able to look at herself and tell you why she was like she is and how her anxiety affected her songs. She hasn't really changed that in anyway. It is just that album by album there have been marked changes in direction.These have not been intentional changes, Berk has just followed her muse, making albums that please her and seeing a growing following that have just got what she does. Here at album five, she has earned the right to do this more and more, both subtle and larger changed have taken place and all of them have worked. 

She can be whatever you want, genre wise, but her music is about what she wants with a hope that you will follow the path. Rocking out or delivering something breathy is just as easy. Indie, Pop, Americana, whatever you name, she can do, but she does it her way. ocd is a stellar album, it is darker, even more reflective than previous, but it is never miserable or angsty. Berk bares her soul, but only because she wants you to listen to what she thinks, nobody is gonna stick her in any corner. The album is more laidback, mellower even, fragile at times. It still has those breakout moments, but they are not as often as before. This is singer songwriter excellence, melodically wonderful, but much more restrained. 

Even the Pop Rock, slightly Disco feel of the title track is about her old condition, But just listen to the magnificent Guitar Pop of I Had A Dream I was Lost In An Auditorium. It is graced by an extraordinary arrangement. Indiesleaze 2005 has a killer chorus, chirpy, but the subject is about the danger of having time on your hands. You Ruined This City For Me is more similar to what has gone before on previous albums, corking Indie Rock with attitude. But it is the slower songs that grip you most. The Piano Pop and mood of My Turn Will Come and the Acoustic led breathiness of  Ghost Stories that bursts into a Guitar crescendo are wonderful.

I've gone on for a bit too long, but would like to leave you with my thoughts on two more songs.  I'm In The Day After is classic Tamar Berk, Indie Rock that grabs a hold of you. There Are Benefits To Mixed Emotions is much more brooding and reflective. Moody and magnificent with a breakout chorus that makes you realise that everything will be alright. ocd is the sound of an artist at the top of their game. Come and join the follower, although these days you may find it a little crowded. This album is totally spellbinding.

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

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Loose Lips - Last Laugh

 

Plenty of you know how we love the Power Pop revival, a slightly more aggressive version of what has gone before, but with the same hooks, riffs and big choruses. Here we have another ace example, all the way from Melbourne.

The (Power) Trio are wonderfully scuzzy. Plenty in common with the scene from the UK and US in 1978. Indeed two thirds of the band are from The Prize, a group whose 2022 EP was adored by us. You can read that review here. All three sing which adds to the variety.

Nothing That I Want even gets all vintage UK Glam Rock, handclaps and all, but it is the Power that grips you most. The trio just don't come up for air and Josh Hardy is not afraid of letting rip with a killer Guitar solo. This is wall to wall shake your fist all the way through.

At times, I am reminded me of The Speedways, but the strength of the album is in how locked in together the three are. This is music to let loose to and is a joy to listen to. Foot Tapping, made for air guitar solos, Last Laugh is a great listen.

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

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Fragile Creatures - Play Both Sides

 

One of the problems of growing as much as we have is that it is more difficult to keep track of albums that you want to cover, particularly with advance release dates and what comes flooding in. This review got lost in draft and should have appeared before now as the album was released at the end of March.

We have previously added a couple of songs to LTTTW Playlists, but you all must listen to the whole shebang. This is Fragile Creatures third album and it is a corker. They specialise in great Pop Rock and unusually they are from here in the UK, a country not noted for this sort of thing.

The Brighton Five may concentrate on the melodic, easy on the ear, beautifully arranged and performed. But there is also a real lyrical adeptness to the songs that Adam Kidd writes. That intelligence shines through the expertly crafted offerings.

They also refused to be boxed in and well they let loose, the creativity shines through even more. Garden Of Eden, for instance, is a monster of a song, chopping and changing direction at will without ever losing its grip, it is a fine listen.

They can also rock out. Bad Smell is great 80s Pop is built around a great riff. Chasing Hearts even gets funky, ultra smooth, built around a hypnotic bassline, indeed the whole album is lit up by the rhythm section. 

It is the laidback Pop Rock that grabs you most, especially Grandaddy, a song that reminds you of the 70s when this style was king. The keyboard sound particularly makes me reminisce and this song has a wonderfully effective solo. Play Both Sides is a belter of an album.

You can listen to and buy the album here.  It is available on CD as a download. You can find out more about Fragile Creatures here. 

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Star Collector - Everything Must Go

 

The return of Vancouver's Star Collector was one of the joys of doing what we do on I Don't Hear A Single. We love the band so much that they even got the Mick Dillingham Interview treatment in 2021. You can read that here and it describes the band's career to that point really well.

A new album is always to be celebrated, the quartet always deliver and here is a wonderful marked change that adds many strings to their bow. They have always managed variety, but their strength has always majored on Rock, a little flavour of The Who, a dash of Mod, a hint of Punk, but with a large willingness and need to Rock.

Everything Must Go reveals a much bigger ambition. It shows in the arrangements, but especially in Vic Wayne's vocal. He can belt songs out in his sleep, but here he stretches his vocal to extremes offering an unexpected tenderness at times across whatever genre they enter,

Take, for instance, The Best Thing. This is essentially Jangle Pop that can't resist a breakout solo, but Waynes's vocal is beautifully restrained in a way that enhances the song. There are examples of this everywhere.

The Rock is well catered for, but it is the diversions that grab a long term fan like myself most. It adds a whole new world to a Star Collector album. You know it will be absolute quality before you listen to any of it. But here the four enter a new dimension.

There are some heavyweight collaborations, you can read the Bandcamp page to discover them all. I've also held back on most song descriptions, hoping newbies will go and discover the band themselves. I've picked the three songs that are my favourites today. This is an essential listen, off you go to hear the delights!

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

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Glowbox - Bland Ambition

 

Boston's Glowbox are back and get a large hoo and indeed rah, It has been a while since late 2021's Your Call Is Very Important To Us. You can read my review of that album here. After three singles in the interfering years, that fine album now has accompaniment.

Bland Ambition was released last Friday in a low key release. But now you know about it, you can listen and shout about it all over the stratosphere. You can expect big riffs, killer choruses and exhilarating solos. The band do Power Pop so well, but there are other areas that the quartet excel at.

The blast in with No Place Like Nowhere is pure Power Pop and the whole listen does feel more Power Pop adjacent than its predecessor, but there are still big footmarks in 90s Indie Rock and College Rock, particularly on Should Have Known.

There is also a venture into 70s UK Glam Rock with the all together now of Doesn't Mean That Much and that works beautifully. Wait And See also demonstrates again, how comfortable the band are in laid back melodic Pop Rock.

The Closer, Horizon, underlines the ease in that genre, a little West Coast in places, with great vocal harmonies, but with 70s Pop Rock at its heart. Joke's On You gets more Classic Rock. In Your Orbit is again classic Pop Rock.

The stand out though for me, something that may come as no surprise to you, is the wonderful Philosophy 21A. Psych Pop of the highest order that even adds a blistering solo and also adds a hint of Prog. Glowbox dish up a crackerjack of an album that will delight you with its variety.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Listening To This Week Playlist 1 September

 

A little later than usual, here is the first LTTW Playlist of five that will appear in September. 23 fine songs for your listening pleasure. As well as the traditional version, we have put the playlist on Spotify and you will see the link below.  22 of the 23 songs are available on Spotify.

Remember this is early days on Spotify for us, 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    (The Joe Giddings Song is not on Spotify)

Superchunk - Is It Making You Feel Something

Yawn Mower - Speed Boat!

Infidels - When The Clock Strikes 12

Pearl Charles - Gone So Long (feat. Tim Burgess)

the dt's - Sun Shines Down

Lot Long - Drive

The Flashcubes - If These Hands

The Second Summer - Try

Richard Turgeon - Song Of Discontent

Joe Giddings - Stay In Nowhere (Not On Spotify)

da nang - Kids

Late Night Lies - Tiny Hand

Edison Gomez - Krauss - Stupid Little People

Chris Lund - You've Got A Lot Of Nerve

Healer - We Follow

Dylan Fellows - Dream Of Other Things

Dylan Fellows · Dream of Other Things

meltcitizen - What Do You Do If You Are A Satanist, Anyway?

sulk - like I do

RedWood - Whatever You Want

Cliff Root - Holy Visions

The Telephone Numbers - Ebb Tide

Problematic Jam - It's So Confusing

Airplane Mode - Late Stage Capitalism

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Infidels - Never Forever

 

Infidels certainly take their time with albums, but it wasn't always like that. Their first two albums, 9:25 And Seven Seconds and Wondrous Strange appeared in 1987 and 1988 respectively. All For Nothing took 15 years to appear and this their fourth hits the racks 22 years on.

The quartet of Pete Drivere, John Hlumyk, John Koury and Dave Lisko are all singer songwriters and with their individual tastes, Infidels provides the ultimate in variety. But, most of all, this is an album that thrives on the joy of the Guitar and how the instrument lights up music.

This beautifully arranged and produced album, allows the band to fully demonstrate the way they can switch from genre to genre at will. At different times, it is Pop Rock, Americana, West Coast Rock, yet there is also Jangle Pop and a hint of Psych Pop. It can be a little Tom Petty and yet also Cheap Trick.

Splendid memorable chorus dominate with a high riff content and gripping Guitar solos. The twang of Amber Moon is matched by the Jangle on Evil Change Of Seasons. When The Clock Strikes 12 is prime time Cheap Trick and Don't Walk Away Marie is great Power Pop.

There is a slight Country Rock vibe at times, but both the rhythm section and the band's wonderful Guitar sound dominate the album. Plus, with four different vocalists, you can imagine how strong the harmonies are throughout. 

The band may have been separated by distance through the years, but they have been keeping themselves busy. Koury, Drivere and later Hlumyk were active Blue Ash's Frank Secich's Deadbeat Poets and Dan Lisko releases his debut album, Spiders & The Sun in a couple of weeks.

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

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Tsar - The Drugboy Tapes

 

I rarely write about the old these days and my ventures into Power Pop are considerably lesser. However, I am still often asked to name my favourite Power Pop album and without any hesitation, I choose Tsar's self titled album from 2000.

It is a little rockier at times compared to other Power Pop gems, but those first four songs would turn any stranger on to the genre. The quality continues throughout and likewise, I would name The Girl Who Wouldn't Die as one of my Top 10 favourite songs of all time, no matter what the genre.

It must have been around 2011 when I picked this up and it is wonderful that Omnivore have brought it to the attention of the next generation, 25 years after that glorious album was released. There is even an extra track added in Holding On.

I didn't realise at the time, how well formed the songs were in 1998. The story of how they were recorded is great too. Jeff Whalen and Dan Kern sort of begged and borrowed the recording equipment to get these demos down.

A mixture of buying an 8 Track Tascam from a thrift store, gathering equipment from a Music shop, paid for by Whalen's step dad without his knowledge. Bought on his credit card with the intention of returning them in 30 days for a refund. They gave themselves that time to record the demos and here are the results.

Calling All Destroyers appears twice, firstly in its original demo form when it was called The Glower, then as a live version on KXLU by the full band on their first Live performance after Steve Coulter and Jeff Solomon had joined to become a quartet.

The demos were shopped around Hollywood and a bidding war began culminating in the Hollywood Records release. These are lo-fi, but enthralling. The resulting album is bursts out of the blocks, but here there is a lot in common with the lo-fi gems that have become so hip in recent years.

Omnivore have remastered the original release adding greater clarity. They are a testament to the joy of that debut album and how it was formed. Omnivore recently released the fully fledged album on White Vinyl and newbies would also be highly recommended to grab that too.

The Drugboy Tapes can be bought on CD or as a download from Omnivore here. The CD can also be bought at all good Record shops.

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Here Is The News

 

Welcome to the first Here Is The News in a while. As with everything on I Don't Hear A Single, it contains no influence whatsoever from anyone but us. We get lots of releases, PR, label contact, but we have always decided what we like and want to tell you about. 

Tamar Berk - ocd  (5 September)

Dealing with the two soonest upcoming albums first. 5 September sees the release of the new Tamar Berk album. One of our greatest discoveries, her fifth album in five years and each one has seem progression and different routes taken.  old îs a much more reflective album, darker in places and a little less rock out. 

Berk has always managed to express her feelings to great effect without angst. Moodier maybe, but I've been living with the album for a while and it is a superb listen. Mature and her development as a solo artist has been and continues to be amazing to witness.

LINK

The Wellingtons - Baby Moon (19 September)

Power Pop goodness arrives with a great fanfare as Australia's The Wellingtons return with their sixth album, the first since 2017's End Of The Summer. The trailing singles make you realise what we have missed. Outstanding Guitar Pop.

Melodic to the extreme, packed with Big choruses, Riffs to die for and a chirpiness that at times hides the lyrical adeptness of the songs. You will be singing along until your heart is content which will certainly continue into 2026.

LINK

Bird Streets - The Escape Artist (17 October)

John Brodeur  is a superb singer songwriter, taking unusual storytelling angles and displaying real depth in all that he does. Recorded with Jason Falkner, as always Brodeur wears his heart on his sleeve revealing a tenderness and exploring self doubt around wonderful memorable arrangements.

One of the most underrated artists around, his third album was recorded over four years and underlines his mastery of his art. It is also great to have Jason Falkner in tow, more about one of our great favourites later.

LINK 

The Len Price 3 - Misty Medway Magick (24 October)

The Len Price Three have been releasing singles that preview the joy of what is to come on this Wicked Cool release. Known for Mod Pop, but performing much more than that, this is an absolute Tour De Force. 

A Power Trio maybe, but the sheer pace and melody overwhelms you. Some might call them Garage Pop, but that gives an impression of noise and these are catchy songs that emphasise the tightness of the trio and the strength of Glenn Page's mellow vocals.

LINK

Cheap Trick - All Washed Up  (14 November)

Cheap Trick remain one of my all time stalwarts. A little too Rock for Power Pop, a little too Power Pop for Rock. Well into their sixth decade and still as relevant, this is their first album in four years and they sound as great as ever. 

Robin Zander in particular sounds as timeless as ever. The sound of my youth and still resonating now. All Washed Up is as melodic and sing along as you might expect. It is splendid that bands like Cheap Trick and Sparks are still releasing new material today that is just as engaging to an audience of over three generations.

LINK

The Salt Collective - A Brief History Of Blindness (21 November)

Stephane Schuck's second album has the songwriter and guitarist surrounded by what appears to be a I Don't Hear A Single who's who. Mike Mills, Chris Stamey, Mitch Easter, Andy Partridge, Jason Falkner, Kimberley Rew, Matthew Caws, Lynn Blakey and Aimee Mann are all involved.

Partridge adds two new songs, Falkner takes lead vocal on one of them. Aimee Mann appears adds vocals on two. As you might imagine from the cast list, the results are amazing a nd most of the material was not recorded remotely.

LINK

Nick Heyward - The Epic And Creation Years (4CD)  (31 October)

Nick Heyward's 90s were an inspired time. He mastered his solo years with three wonderful albums. From Monday To Sunday, Tangled and The Apple Bed. Enhanced by multiple bonus tracks including 12 demos, the strength of all three albums is revisited.

Coinciding with Brit Pop, Heyward shows that the period wasn't all about loud Guitar music. I've often been an advocate of how great much of the Pure Pop was around the outer circle of Brit Pop. Truth be known, the whole set is worth the admission for Kite alone, one of the greatest songs ever. The three individual albums are also released on Vinyl.

LINK

Finally Mommyheads return on 7 November with the release of No Quietus. I have the album here and it is truly wonderful. The New Yorkers are absolutely beloved here and more details will be released soon. Now almost four decades old, the band continue to be one of the most inventive groups that you are ever likely to hear.

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Yawn Mower - I Just Can't Wait To Die

 

Yawn Mower are a five piece from Asbury Park New Jersey, but don't expect this to be Springsteen-esque. I Just Can't Wait To Die is noisier than their excellent debut, fuzz laden, bigger sounding but also much looser. A little 90s Indie in feel, plenty in common with Slacker Rock. 

They also have a secret weapon in Nicole Scorsone whose violin complements the sound wonderfully. But don't expect Baroque Pop. This is violin that joins in the melee and the organised chaos bar the odd occasion. This is added violin that rocks in unison.

During slowed down moments, of which there are few, the band can sound a little like Deer Tick, particularly on the opener, Windshield Wiper, but equally they can get much heavier as witnessed on Igor The Exetor. 

However, this is an album of big riffs, even bigger choruses and unexpected Guitar solos. It is also incredibly melodic, but unstructured in style, you just get surprised by breakouts and the playing never ever meanders as it can do on albums with this sort of vibe.

It is a cracking listen, it just grabs a hold of you. There is also depth, never more so on the 6 minutes of Squirming, a song that gets heavier and heavier and noisier and noisier. But there are also great moments of Pop that just burst out into the sunlight.

Speedboat! is killer Pop Rock that doesn't betray the band's roots and Rascal sounds as adorable as ever. This in album that has allowed Yawn Mower to break out. They can easily adapt to a sort of heavier Weezer, but there is great variation particularly on the splendid Geothermal Springs. I Just Can't Wait To Die is a tour de force. Don't be fooled by the album title, this is more of a celebration.

You can listen to and buy the album here. 

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