The Legal Matters - Lost At Sea

 

Having reviewed the new Nick Piunti album at the start of the month, I now turn to compatriots as I Don't Hear A Single opened its doors. I named these people, the Michigan Music Mafia. Both Donny Brown and  Andy Reed featured on the the current Piunti album and are here now. 

Andy Reed, Chris Richards and Keith Klingensmith are The Legal Matters and were part of that Michigan gang. Formed from excellent previous bands, this is now the band's fourth album and it has been a long  5 year wait. Now on the Big Stir Records label which has also felt like it should be their home.

Lost At Sea lands somewhere between 70s Pop Rock and Power Pop. Beautifully performed and arranged, they aren't afraid of stepping out of their space, but are most at home with melody. The songs are big productions without ever being Kitchen sink.

It Doesn't Matter is an incredible song that builds and builds with an exploding chorus. The dynamism of that song is very different to the Badfinger vibes of Let Me Explain with its orchestral build and the piano part that comes from nowhere. It is another stunning arrangement.

Compare those two songs to the jaunty California Pop of Stuck With Me and the gentle Psych Pop backing to the Beach Boys like harmony on The Exit Signs and you realise how much variety is on display and how much work has gone into the album.

Marching On gets all Simon And Garfunkel at the beginning and also hints at Psych Pop instrumentally before becoming harmonic joy. The Message is Power Pop Gold. Lost At Sea shows that you don't have to blow the bloody doors off to engage completely. Another storming addition to the great Legal Matters canon.  

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

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I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2021 : 31-40

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 31 : A.M. Slingers - A.M. Slingers    IDHAS Review

No 32 : The Gold Needles - What's Tomorrow Ever Done For You        IDHAS Review





No 33 : The Junior League - Bridge And Tunnel     IDHAS Review

No 34 : Iain Hornal - Fly Away Home          IDHAS Review

      

No 35 : Ex Norwegian And Friends - Sing Jimmy Campbell     IDHAS Review

No 36 : Peter Hall - Light The Stars      IDHAS Review


  


No 37 : Mark & The Clouds - Waves      IDHAS Review

No 38 :  The Legal Matters - Chapter Three    IDHAS Review

  

No 39 : Byron Rimes - Byron Rimes Greatest Hits   IDHAS Review 

 
No 40 : Steve Robinson - Swallowing The Sun       IDHAS Review

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The Legal Matters - Chapter Three

 

I avoid mentioning lockdown and Covid in reviews, not out of callousness, but in a belief that music should be a diversion from the strain. I will mention it here though, because as we see signs of coming out of the tunnel, I can think of no better album to accompany me than one by The Legal Matters.

The trio seem to be joined at the hip. I always assume that if I tell one something, he will tell the others, I don't need to contact all three. This expands into their music which always comes across as brotherly, tight and united. There is a real bond between the three and this album more than any confirms that.

I thought I'd look at a couple of other reviews of Chapter Three, not because I'm a magpie. but to see if those reviews concurred with my thoughts. Being honest, they don't really. I see comparisons to Big Star, Fountains Of Wayne, Weezer and The Beach Boys. There may the odd bit somewhere that does, but largely I don't hear any of that.

The Legal Matters have far more in common with a band like Crowded House and the harmonies are more Simon And Garfunkel or The Everly Brothers. The songs are divided equally between Chris Richards and Andy Reed, but this is no dictatorial song writing, the three work on all the songs together to expand what is initially brought to the table.

The fact that one member writes the odd numbered songs, the other the even, may concern some about track sequencing. It did me as I (wrongly) associated Reed with the slower numbers and Richards with any pace. Well that certainly isn't the case here.

I would never have associated Andy Reed with the wonderful The World Is Mine. It is all barrel piano, a little Toytown Psych and has far more in common with bands Like The Successful Failures. That's All is all Roy Orbison 60's twang and could almost appear on the American Graffiti soundtrack. You would think Reed wrote it, he didn't. 

This also underlines how collaborative the album is. The Painter is spot on 70's Piano Pop yet Please Make A Sound has a cracking 80's synth sound running through it. Make Things Up is splendid twang. A Memory Of Sound is jaunty pop at its very best and the closer, Passing Chord is an absolute vocal masterpiece.

The Legal Matters usually do mellow best and there is plenty here to keep those fans happy. But there seems to be more chances taken on this third album and boy do they work. The harmonies are as tight as ever, but the songs seem to have even more oomph.

There are plenty of bands that harmonise well. Perhaps, a few too many that made that California scene a little done. They should have gone to Michigan, because The Legal Matters could come up with any of those albums easily, but no other band could have come up with something as varied and great as this. Highly Recommended!

You can listen the album here. It is available on CD, Vinyl or Download. 

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The Legal Matters - Conrad

Detroit's The Legal Matters' self titled debut album was rightly celebrated by many as one of the best albums of 2014, if not THE best album and rightly so. It was refreshing to hear an album that majored so much on vocal harmony and melody.

It wasn't a major surprise considering the trio's past record, but it was still heart warming. Chris Richards, Andy Reed and Keith Klingensmith were well known around the Power Pop scene and if you get chance, you should dig out some of their individual albums. My vinyl version of Chris Richards And The Subtractions' A Smattering Of Mystery And Sound, released by Sugarbush Records, ages the needle considerably.

I was hoping for sophomore for their second release, Conrad and there is some of that. However, I've been fortunate to have the album for a fortnight or more and that's allowed greater familiarity and assessment. Normally, there wouldn't be that lead up to a review, but it's allowed me to realise the progression of the band. The Vocal harmonies are amazing, what appears simplistic isn't, the complex vocals have been lovingly crafted with great depth and every listen improves that aural experience.

Two years on and the band's trio have tripled the impact of their solo work. It is a big advancement on the debut album. The Vocals are richer and more complex, the arrangements have greater presence and feel fully formed as though you couldn't get one more improvement to each song. The songwriting and vocals are split, but the album is very much the sum of it's parts.

Ably aided by Donny Brown and Andy Dalton on Drums, the instruments are far more pronounced and it certainly feels like Guitar has been brought much more to the forefront. The album is less mellow than the debut and they show they can rock a little. The greatest example of this is Andy Reed's Short Term Memory. Everyone will have a different fave across the album, but this is mine. It's an absolute crackerjack of a song. Worth the admission alone.

There's so much to admire on Conrad. My one wish is that Lull And Bye was longer, one minute and ten seconds doesn't do justice to the wonderful harmonies. Any one of these 11 songs hit the mark and it's a little unfair to pick any out in particular. But, special mention has to go to Better Days and the aching, Pull My String. More Birds Less Bees is also a gem.

It's been a year when three albums have been waited for and in all three cases, I worried that these albums wouldn't live up to expectations. Nick Piunti and Greg Pope have already released their finest albums yet. The Legal Matters have made that a trio, this is a vocal masterpiece. It's released on 28 October and you should count down the days.

My hope is that Omnivore get behind the release big time because if ever an album deserved to break out, it's this one. Special mention should be made of the Vinyl Release. This is simply because there is a bonus download with that version which features the vocals only version of the album. That's something, I, in particular, are fascinated to hear.


You can pre-order the album here in all formats. You can find out more about the band on their website here.

Various - If It Feels Good Do It

First off I'm a big Sloan fan, through great and mediocre I'll always stick by them. I'm like that with Cheap Trick, the band always gets the benefit of the doubt. If an album is disappointing, I'll just wait for the next and these aren't the times of an album a year.

Secondly, I am not that keen on tribute albums, they've been done to death and I've never really seen the point. This is different, I love it. Why? Because it's got a line up of many who are hot in Power Pop land at the moment and secondly, because not all versions are faithful to the originals.




I happened to mention in my Gretchen's Wheel review that not many people dare to cover Sloan and Keith Klingensmith quickly corrected me on this. The 31 song collection is on his label Futureman Records . Incidentally Futureman are one of the more exciting labels around, celebrating the best of new and old Power Pop.

The cast is great including Stereo Tiger, Nick Piunti, The Well Wishers, Chris Richards, Andy Reed, The Anderson Council, Paul Mellancon, Gretchen's Wheel and Ryan Allen plus many more.

Nick Piunti makes Right Or Wrong sound like a Nick Piunti song, Stereo Tiger reinforce their reputation as one of the best around at present and Chris Richards handles Coax Me beautifully.





King Radio cover the title track in a sort of lounge lizard style and Kristin Von B becomes Kim Wilde as if she was backed by the Go-Go's with Devo interruptions. The album is great fun and great value at 31 songs for 10 dollars. The killer though I've already praised in my review of Behind The Curtain. Gretchen's Wheel's cover of Try To Make It is absolutely inspired.




You can buy the album here and then have a look at what Futureman Records are doing. Anyone who is trying to recreate interest in Gladhands is fine and dandy with me.

The Legal Matters - An Intro EP

The Legal Matters have released a Free EP on Noisetrade. Ignore the six dollar tip, the band would like you to download it and see what you are missing. You can find it here.

I know most of you will want to head off there now, so right click and you can continue to read about why I like this band and for those unconvinced souls, well you can then head off there after the read.

The Legal Matters 2014 self titled debut remains a regular play here. I didn't buy it on a whim, I liked what all three band members had done earlier and this seemed a marriage made in heaven plus I knew Nick Piunti had helped out.

Two of that fine album's songs are on the Free EP, namely The Legend Of Walter Wright and We Were Enemies. The album thrives on it's Beatlesque pop, like The Posies before Jon and Ken bought a load of keyboards, so in turn Big Star-ish.

You can still buy the album here



If you had to sum up where they fit though, it would be in Teenage Fanclub territory. Now I know, TFC comparisons are ten a penny, equal only to the new Jellyfish or XTC, but in this case it's true and to prove it, the third track is a splendid cover of Teenage Fanclub's Don't Look Back.

So what of the trio?

Well I loved Chris Richards And The Subtractions two albums, particularly 2013's Get Your La La's Out (and what a great title that is). You can still buy Chris's stuff here. The Hippodrome album is ace too.




Andy Reed has had a great solo career too from 2008's Fast Forward album onwards. Great melodic laid back pop. He was also in the latter day line up of The Verve Pipe. You can find more on Andy's offerings here. A great place to start is the recent An Introduction To album.




Last, but certainly not least, is Keith Klingensmith. Keith was in Hippodrome with Chris as well as the pair being the duo behind The Phenomenal Cats. Keith is also the man behind the wonderful Futureman Records label, at times, the saviour of Power Pop here.

I'm really looking forward to the upcoming Legal Matters' second album, released very soon on the Omnivore Label.

The fourth EP track is Anything, an exclusive from the upcoming Conrad album. You can keep in touch with released dates and all things The Legal Matters wise at their website here.