Hurry - Zoned Out

I Don't Hear A Single may wander more around the genres these days, but it should never be forgotten that it was built on Power Pop and Hurry have been a key part of that. 2014's Everything / Nothing was reviewed on Anything Should Happen. 2016's Guided By Meditation missed out due to the gap between ASH ending and IDHAS starting.

But the three albums that followed are all reviewed here and all 3 were in the year's Best Of's. So we hit 2026 and other reviews note Zoned Out as the 6th album, I had it down as the 7th, but that's immaterial. I said in 2021 that you know what to expect, but that is the beauty of previous albums.

Matt Scottoline's vocals suit Power Pop perfectly, he writes some of the most joyous melodic songs that you could ever wish to hear. There's never been any doubt that he is a Teenage Fanclub fan and now Gerald Love appears on the excellent, Moving After You to underline this. 

The guitars are chunkier and there is more synth than usual, which actually enhances the relevant songs, but this is a Guitar album, a brilliant Guitar album. It is also the best Teenage Fanclub album that Teenage Fanclub didn't write and perform.

Zoned Out sounds like TFC in their glory period from the early days to Grand Prix. The riffs are omnipresent, the solos extended and the songs are ones that you will be singing along. It is a little rockier and beautifully arranged and performed.

The whole album underlines the beauty of the Guitar and the chorus. I defy anyone to put together 10 songs of absolute quality and consistently. You may have some idea of what you are gonna get, but I just want more and more of it.

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

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I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2023 : 81-90

 

For the last few years We have compiled annual Best Of 's  because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. A reminder that anything reviewed on I Don't Hear A Single is highly recommended. 

Narrowing things down to this 100 has been really difficult. The countdown is posted in reverse batches of 10. For each album, a song is embedded from the album and a link is provided to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album.

81 Paul McCann - Alter Ego      IDHAS Review

82 Ex Norwegian - Sooo Extra      IDHAS Review

83 Poppy Robbie - Neighborhood Beautification Commission      IDHAS Review

84 The World Famous - Totally Famous      IDHAS Review

b

85 Nick Bertling - Process And Contact     IDHAS Review

86 Sunshine Frisbee Laserbeam       IDHAS Review

87 Vanilla - Vanilla 77      IDHAS Review

88 Silver Car Crash - Shattered Shine      IDHAS Review

89 The Bouncing Souls - Ten Stories High      IDHAS Review

  

90 Hurry - Don't Look Back     IDHAS Review

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Hurry - Don't Look Back

 

Philadelphia's Hurry are no strangers to these parts. Their last two albums have seriously bothered the I Don't Hear A Single Best Albums Of The Year and I have little doubt that Don't Look Back will do the same. I've previously described their territory as somewhere between classic Power Pop and the Glasgow TFC scene.

Again that comparison is largely true. There is a sense that you know what you are gonna get. That isn't being critical because that is exactly what you want and Matt Scottoline certainly knows what buttons to press. Chipper Upbeat songs are the intention and they are performed incredibly well performed.

The addition of Brass here in the shape of Trumpet and Trombone and this really enhances songs. An extra dimension is added to the songs and this change compliments the songs beautifully without ever getting in the way.

Beggin' For You ventures further back into Badfinger land and even has hints of West Coast Pop. The vocal on Little Brain is wonderfully melodic and fragile, again sounding very 60s West Coast. Punchline is great 90s Indie Guitar Pop with some killer Guitar.

No Patience may be the best song on show with its UK New Wave vibe, but any of these 10 songs could be part of a Hurry's Greatest Hits. This album feels a bit more Glasgow than full on Power Pop. The diversions are more than welcome, but the template doesn't change massively and that is exactly what makes Hurry so special.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2021 : 61-70

It's been difficult to get these choices down to 100. I'm also not a believer in saying one album is better than another. Most of the time you are comparing Apples To Oranges. I'm not a List person, I just think what's the point?

However, for the last few years I have compiled annual Best Of 's  because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. There is no meaning or judgement on an album that is Number 1, Number 100 or not on the list. Anything that I review on here, mention on Social Media, or play on the Radio Show is as highly recommended.

There are few rules. All albums have to have been reviewed on IDHAS. Reissues and Live Albums are not included. Previously unreleased albums are included, but Best Of's are not. For each album, I've posted a song from it and a link to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album. 

No 61 : It's Karma, It's Cool - Homesick For Our Future Destinations     IDHAS Review

No 62 : The Embryos - National Absurdatory        IDHAS Review





No 63 : The Brandy Alexanders - The Brandy Alexanders        IDHAS Review

    

No 64 : Andrew Taylor And The Harmonizers - Andrew Taylor And The Harmonizers             IDHAS Review

No 65 : Ghosts Of Jupiter - Keepers Of The Newborn Green       IDHAS Review

No 66 : Dave Cope And The Sass - Pied Piper      IDHAS Review





No 67 : Vegetarians & Carnivores - A Day Of Rainbows     IDHAS Review

No 68 :  Stephen Flint - Onanmatopoeia    IDHAS Review





No 69 : Hurry - Fake Ideas     IDHAS Review

   


No 70 : Gordon's Crowbar - Songs About Stuff     IDHAS Review

                              

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Hurry - Fake Ideas

 

I feel I'm on a familiar territory, or at least my old stomping ground, with Hurry's fourth album and that is a good thing. The quartet have mastered an area somewhere between Power Pop and the Glasgow territory of the likes of Teenage Fanclub. Mastered being the key word.

Guitars Jangle on catchy verses and big choruses. Songs are built on a killer riffs awaiting the break out solo. Unusually for this genre, the lyrics are plentiful, none of this verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, first verse again, chorus here. The lyrical depth is admirable.

Philadelphia's Matt Scottoline leads the band with aplomb and although you know what to expect, four albums in, you would want no more. Fake Ideas just sounds so Upbeat that no one could be critical, you just want to sing along.

Few have also developed gradually without the quality varying. I can think of Caddy and few others. Any of these ten songs could appear on a Best Of Hurry and you cannot give them a higher compliment. The band feel very Brit whilst never losing sight of being American 

Slogging Through The Summer is very TFC and but for the lockdown could have been the Summer Breakout song with its hypnotic Twang. Oh Whitney is very Lightning Seeds with a gem of a riff. In My Very Old Age is a splendid meandering closer. 

In truth though, it is really hard and unfair to pull out individual songs as every one is great as the other. Power Pop give the impression that its easy. It is much harder to get it right and few do it better than Hurry. Fake Ideas is a joy to listen to. A real feel good album!

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2018 : 41-50

2018 has been a fantastic year for the type of music that we like. It's been difficult to get these choices down to 100. I'm also not a believer in saying one album is better than another. Most of the time you are comparing Apples To Oranges. I'm not a Top 10 person, I just think what's the point.

However, for the first time last year, I did a Top 50, normally I just say what my favourite album of the year is. I've simply done it again, because those five posts of last year were so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists.

As I said the standard this year is incredibly high, so much so that I've extended the choice to 100 albums. There is no meaning or judgement on an album that is Number 1, Number 100 or not on the list. Anything that I review on here, mention on Social Media or play on the Radio Show is as highly recommended.

For each album, I've posted a song from it and a link to the IDHAS Review if applicable.


No 41 : Cinderpop - Bricolage       IDHAS Review here.







No 42 : The Stan Laurels - Maybe      IDHAS Review here.






No 43 : The Supahip - The Two Sided Face      IDHAS Review here.






No 44 : Hurry- Every Little Thought 






No 45 : P. Hux - This Is The One      IDHAS Review here.

No 46 : Phil Yates And The Affiliates - Party Music!      IDHAS Review here.






No 47 : Dot Dash - Proto Retro      IDHAS Review here.






No 48 : William Duke - Quatro      IDHAS Review here.






No 49 : The Yancys - The End       IDHAS Review here.






No 50 : The Cleaners From Venus - Life In A Time Machine






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