Shawn Lynch and Michael Slawter return with the sound of Winston-Salem with the second Action City album. The debut was well loved around here and appeared in the IDHAS 2021 Best Of Year and deservedly so. You can read the review of that album here.
Thankfully Album Number 2 continues on from where the last left off. A cracking mix of UK 60s Beat Pop and Psych Pop with some interesting diversions awaits you. That Beat Guitar Pop is reminiscent of The Kinks before Ray Davies went Toytown and it is splendidly done.
Those diversions are great. Canadys Girl is a cracking slab of New Wave and She's A Natural is one of the better examples of Power Pop this year, mastering a genre that many can do, but few as well. The Dark Horse is a fine atmospheric ballad, a little West Coast maybe.
Sinking Fast even goes all UK Glam Rock and nails it. The most interesting thing though is the mix of the two aforementioned genres. It isn't always that this is this or that is that, often the two are combined. This is Action City's real strength.
The Once Upon A Time is great Guitar Pop, but has a wonderful Psych Jangle. You Were Adored works in a similar way, but this time the Psych Pop riff is ramped up even more and has an awesome solo. Kiss And Tell is ace UK Beat, part Kinks, part Who but still fits in a paint stripping solo.
Many approaching this sort of album would have made it all 70s Pop Rock, of which there's a glut of at presently. The route Action City gives you the best of Guitar and Psych Pop without ever seeming forced or "will this do" I also urge all to listen to The Longest Girl which reveals how heavy Pop can be if you let rip. Another excellent offering!
You can listen to and buy the album here.
