Joe Glass - Snakewards

 

Joe Glass is a member of Sharp Pins' Live band and Snakewards is released on Kai Slater's Hallogallo label. As you might expect, the album is deliciously lo-fi at times with nods to Guided By Voices, Elephant 6 and Sharp Pins themselves.

But it is not all intentionally scrappy and I'll mention such joys later. The album is experimental and scrappy at times, but the main change to Sharp Pins is that there seems to be far more of a Power Pop thread and that is mainly where the glory shows.

It really a wonderful listen that treads plenty of roads. Freight Train Woman gets a little Bolan and there is a slight Glam tint and a great chorus. Felicity Crunch is melodic Noise Rock and Oscar's Midnight is splendidly chaotic, but in essence sounds like the break out of 60s Rock. 

All About You sounds like a demo from The La's and Man Who Lost His Diamond as an ace Jangle to it. Buck Wild is even a Swamp Acoustic Country Blues thing. It's A Drag is splendid 60s Pop performed in a let's do the show right here way.

Dust On Your Halo is superb Power Pop and New Pose runs it close. Dandelion is another that sounds much more than lo-fi, wonderful sing along choruses feature in all three. If you are a Sharp Pins fan, you will adore this, if you have never heard of them, you will to. A Fascinating mix of the straight ahead and the experimental. Top Notch!

You can listen to and buy the album here.  The cassette has sadly sold out. Maybe there is a further chance of a physical release.

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I Don't Hear A Single Best 100 Albums Of 2025 : 41- 50

 

A busy old evening! The IDHAS  100 Best Albums Of 2025 countdown continues with Numbers 41 - 50

 

41 Sharp Pins - Balloon Balloon Balloon      IDHAS Review

42 Tigers & Flies - Expanded Play      IDHAS Review

43 Superchunk - Songs In The Key Of Yikes      IDHAS Review

44 The Nines - Echoes Of Past Future      IDHAS Review

45 ICEBEING - Elf Music      IDHAS Review

46  The Setting Son - Cul-De-Sac     IDHAS Review

47 Creem Circus - Get Switched On   IDHAS Review

48   Barbara - So This Is Living    IDHAS Review

49 Shortwaves - Mental Health In The Information Age     IDHAS Review

50 British Birds - Silence Daedalus     IDHAS Review

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Sharp Pins - Balloon Balloon Balloon

 

Sharp Pins is the solo project of Lifeguard's Kai Slater. This third album is the Chicago Starlet's follow up to the wonderful Radio DDR (review here). The new album is very different to the last. Radio DDR was a kind of statement from someone who wanted to be Doug Gillard's grandson.

Balloon Balloon Balloon is like a collection of earlier demos, it isn't, but sounds like it should be. That shouldn't put you off because there are a thousand ideas here, but they are incredibly lo-fi, it appears deliberately so.

The main question should be, how can someone so young have all this musical history in his head. He is an incredible talent. I mentioned in the previous review of a likeness at times to Rick Corcoran's Orgone Box and some of these songs do sound like Orgone Box demos.

But there is also an adept take on 60s Beat Pop and Jangle Pop. Some of the songs could easily be from the 60s, but then Fall In Love Again could be The La's. In A While (You'll Be Mine) is ace Psych Pop of the highest order.

Takes So Long mixes UK Beat with UK New Wave, Maria Don't even sounds like a Lennon Demo and Crown Of Thorns gets very Cleaners From Venus. Queen Of Globes and Mirrors is more Jangly and even starts with a Hard Days Night opening chord.

(I Wanna) Be Your Girl still sounds wonderful and remains an Orgone Box doppelgänger, but although these may come across as ideas, just listen to the quality of the songs. Kai Slater belies his years and I can't wait for what comes next from his multiple projects.

You can listen to and buy the album here. UK buyers should also support  the likes of Norman Records (here) who do such a fantastic job supporting the physical releases that we love. The album is available on Vinyl, CD, Cassette and as a download.

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Sharp Pins - Radio DDR

 

Welcome to something wonderful.  Radio DDR is the solo project of Chicago's Kai Slater, guitarist with the much noisier Lifeguard and provider of the Hallogallo fanzine. The album was released last year, but now gets a more fully fledged release with 3 Bonus Tracks, intended to be singles. 

This lands somewhere between Indie Guitar Pop and Pop Rock. There is tons of Jangle Pop present, but the main take is sheer melody. There aren't enough catchy songs in the world and this provides an overload of such. Certainly, these are needed in these strange times.

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Production wise, the album will be compared to Guided By Voices, sort of mid hi-fi, but Slater's versatility outshines everything. That gentle vocal could sing the phone book, if there is such a thing now, but the material spans everywhere from Merseybeat to Scuzzy 90s Rock. Psych Pop to West Coast Jangle. The La's to Teenage Fanclub.

Lorelei is jaunty 70s Pop, Sycophant is 70s Acoustic Folk and Chasing Stars is the Canterbury version of it. Every Time I Hear is Glasgow Jangle and  If Ever I Was Lonely is so Merseybeat. You Have A Way is very Orgone Box and Is It Better is a mix of Psych Pop and 80s Post Punk Indie.

The three new additions match the quality of the previous 11. I Can't Stop is C86, Storma Lee is Stealers Wheel doing Psych Pop and With A Girl Like Mine is mid 60s strumming melodic pop of the highest order. All add joy to that original release.

It seems a long while since I have heard so great a melodic Pop album. Inspiring riffs, memorable choruses and equally great when Acoustic or Electric. The variety is wonderful without ever losing you, an album to be listened to from start to finish. 

The album is available to buy on vinyl or as a download from Friday. You can get it here, where you can listen to all 14 songs now. You can find out about Hallogallo in the archive here.

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