Well into our 10th year, this like going back to the beginning, the sort of thing that I Don't Hear A Single was built on. It is astonishingly great, Intelligent Indie, but much more than that. Pop Rock of the highest order. What an essential listen this is.
San Francisco's Quinn Hawkins has hit our sweet spot. At times, it is Brit Pop, but most of all, in many others it is Andy Partridge-esque in both the second half of XTCs career and even Dukes Period. It is wonderfully put together with unexpected arrangements.
It stays wonderfully melodic, equally adept at both Piano Pop and Psych Pop. There isn't a duff song amongst the 11. Even a more straight ahead song such as Different Level Of Hell should just be Piano Pop, but the instrumentation takes it into greater depth, particularly with the Guitar work.
Nothing Seems To Kill Me Now starts as a sort of Geeky ballad, but turns into a wonderfully gentle Psych Pop arrangement. Cleaning Out My Mind is Brit Pop, but with another splendid arrangement. Indeed, a lot of songs become something else has they progress. This adds stellar closing harmonies.
But is the XTC comparisons that resonate the most. We don't have miss them and this is as near as you are gonna get. You'll have heard I Can't Wait To Go Bed Every Night on the current Listening To This Week Playlist and it's a cracker.
But that is matched by both (Back Off) I'm On Vacation and Souvenir In The Dirt. These are masterful slices of Guitar Pop. This is one of those albums that you just can't believe has come into your possession. Album Of The Year potential? You betcha and we are only mid March.
You can listen to and buy the album here. It cries out for a physical release.
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