I once called Lisa Mychols the Queen Of Power Pop. I still think of her that way. Pop of the highest order with that wonderful sugar sweet vocal. There is some of that here and she excels at it, but this, thanks to the locked in band element and it is a band album, this is a much rockier Mychols and it's great.
Mychols varies her vocals to the variety wonderfully well on both the Guitar Pop and the Indie Rock. She is far more important than comparing her to others, but a song like Clean Up Time is pure Debbie Harry Blondie and it suits her well.
Girl In Trouble is all Brass Revue, almost Motown and her phrasing on Nothing Really Stays The Same is totally ace. The Go-Gos spring to mind on. She even sounds temptress like on the opener with a vocal that reminds you of those Power Pop glory days.
But as the album progresses, the Rockier stuff largely takes over and it is really really great. It is a credit to the band that this suits her so well. The album loses none of the big choruses, riffs and solos, it just makes you shake your fist, memorably so.
Stratospheric is right in your face, it just stomps. Parasite is great 80s Big Rock and Can You Hear Me is anthemic, all attitude. Miss Me When I'm Gone has a hint of Ska, feels like a better produced Garage Rock, almost Rhythm And Blues.
Then there is the closer. Nexus Star, that allows Mychols to show off her vocal strength, solo in the first part. She sounds a little Rachel Sweet. The whole album is a revelation, hints of the past, but more aggressive in instrumentation in parts. The album is on the Jem Records label.
You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on CD and available as a download.
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