The High Strung - HannaH

 

Despite being a fan of The High Strung for most of their two decade existence, I had no idea that HannaH existed. Never short of melody and originality, the return of Mark Owen in 2016 and the last album in 2019, Quiet Riots, reinforced that message. It is an absolute gem of an album.

HannaH, however goes back to 2002, before the sessions for the band's debut album, These Are The Good Times. Whilst waiting to go into the studio for those sessions, The High Strung found themselves with 2 weeks free and decided to use the time to record songs to a Teac 80-8 Reel To Reel.

The debut album sessions began and no more was thought of these recordings, until the lockdown. Bass Player, Chad Stocker discovered the tapes and drew them to the attention of the rest of the band and all agreed there was something special about the recordings. 

The band have always been prolific recorders for no other reason than fun and when the tapes were passed to Producer Zach Shipps, all agreed that the end results of his work made a valid release. So we have the official release, 19 years on.

When something like this is generally mentioned, you expect scrappy lo fi outtakes with the odd gem amongst the mediocre. That is certainly not the case here. The recordings were approached differently to the upcoming sessions. There was no pressure and the band recorded them for themselves. 

The result is a really inventive album. Not necessarily as commercial as what was to come, but the trademark melody and wit are combined with real Indie inventiveness. It isn't a long album, 26 minutes, but the 10 songs offer such variety.

Turned It Away is UK Beat that really wants to be Psych and Cored Out Apple is great Noise Pop. Tip Of The Iceberg enters into the territory of The Sugarplastic, yet Beautiful Summer is splendid Psych Pop. That Is All I Want From You could be Merseybeat. 

God Is Good is slashing Garage Pop, but the real gem is Whatever He Wanted, featured on the current IDHAS 10 Song Mix. It is a wonderful slice of Toytown Psych. I respectively suggest that you treat HannaH as a new release. It is exceptional. The fact it was thrown down underlines what a great band The High Strung are. Highly Recommended!

You can listen to and buy the album here. You can find out more about The High Strung here.

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IDHAS Ten Songs Mix 14

We reach Number 14 and this week there are 10 songs in just over 32 minutes. A hint of Psych Pop at times, but that wasn't intentional and this week is certainly Poptastic.

The Mixcloud link is below and at the foot of the page is the Mixcloud Player which takes you directly to the music. Here is the playlist of the ten songs this week :

01 Livingmore - Sharp

02 Dan Vapid & The Cheats - Burning Questions

03 The Verve Pipe - The Witching Hour

04 Fur - The Fine Line Of A Quiet Life

05 Vegetarians & Carnivores - Crippled Dreams

06 The High Strung - Whatever He Wanted

07 The Green Pajamas - Hello, Hello

08 The John Sally Ride - She Doesn't Do Nostalgia

09 The Summer Holiday - What Happens When You Lose

10 Anatomy Class - Reflector Shield

IDHAS Ten Songs Mix 14

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RW Hedges - Year After Year

 

Year After Year is another splendid affair. Gentle, atmospheric, almost Folk at times, but never ever losing its pop sensibility. It does feel very 60s. but is never stuck there and covers a range of genres without ever having to turn the amp up.

Whether the song is weeping like the melancholic Ice In August or the jaunty Baroque Pop of Far And Wide, Hedges voice just washes your aches away. Piece Of String even edges towards a pastoral type of Psych Pop.

She Calls Through The Night is wonderful, Harrison-esque at times and Who's To Care goes all Country, bordering on Americana, not Big Hats thankfully. Travelling Road also has hints of Americana, but the vocal harmonies take it nearer to Pop. 

Hedges masters the high notes with aplomb without ever affecting or forcing the song. Year After Year is a beautiful affair that never gets mawkish. Weathervane may be the best thing on the album and yet it is the quietest.

Producer Luca Nieri co-writes the album and there is a lyrical depth of the album is commendable. The pace of the album, brings out those words and makes you pick them out. This may be RW Hedges fourth album, but the quality doesn't let up. You could even say he gets better and better.

You can listen and buy the album here.

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Dan Vapid & The Cheats - Escape Velocity

 

I'm not gonna venture into the what and what isn't Punk pit again. Nor bang on about how more people should listen to Pop Punk and not be put off by the label. The genre isn't all about automated vocals, there is some great Pop Rock in there.

Dan Vapid has been involved in noisier, nearer Punk bands, but this isn't one of them. Indeed, Escape Velocity is much much nearer Power Pop if anything. On the likes of Cyber World and Guilt & Relief, there are real justified Green Day comparisons.

There are also examples where the band go even more mainstream, Runaway Jane is a perfect example and Robots edges towards Glam Rock. But for the pace, Tears Are Falling compares even further back to somewhere near Rock n Roll.

Bitter And Soul could even be UK New Wave, it is wonderfully anthemic. Midnight Blue is almost a Campfire song and the only time the band slow down. It is an unexpected close to a fine example of a melodic Guitar Pop album.

Songs Like Burning Question and the superb Come Find Me are Power Pop gems that should appeal to a much wider and older audience. Escape Velocity is a great listen. Big choruses, killer riffs and a band that appears to really enjoy what they are doing. More of this sort of thing please!

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Vegetarians & Carnivores - A Day Of Rainbows

 

Simon Carbery is the Vocalist, Guitarist and Songwriter for the excellent The Wood Demons, a band that doesn't get the credit it deserves. They tread the middle ground between Prog and Psych, but there is very much a Folk slant in what they do.

Vegetarians & Carnivores is Carbery's solo project and whether alone or collaborating, the sound isn't quite as expansive, but takes as many, if not more chances adding even greater variety. This doesn't sound like a debut album, probably helped by the skills honed in The Wood Demons.

Where Do Friends Go is a great piano led affair, fine Pop Rock in the mould of John Howard and even warrants an even more stripped down closing reprise. The song is charm personified, but you shouldn't be lulled into your armchair as the album takes on many directions. 

Crippled Dreams is as fine a slice of Toytown you could wish to hear, wonderfully wacky, yet Option C is an opener that is very Modern Prog. Dubrovnik Rooftiles is cinematic Space Rock and Nation Of Us is like a World Vocal that is similar to Russell Mael's spoken verses. 

Well.... is one of two epics, a song that just builds and builds and ends somewhere near Jazz Rock. Beautiful Tuesday is an absolute Psych masterpiece, but also contains parts that edge towards Pop Rock. It shows that Psych doesn't have to be brutal.

I thought The Wood Demons offered great variety, well there is even more here and the inventiveness shines through. A Day Of Rainbows isn't an album that will suit everyone, but if you want to expand your horizons and taste, you will find it surprisingly soothing and fulfilling. 

It is also worth the admission alone for Crippled Dreams.

You can listen to and buy the album here. 

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Hushdrops - The Static

 

The third Hushdrops album is one tinged with sadness as it has become a tribute to drummer, Joe Camarillo, who died suddenly just before the album was completed. The Chicago threesome were the true definition of the Power Trio.

Although more known for their adventures elsewhere, this supergroup of sorts always sounded most at home together. The playing was almost telepathic at times and the one take nature of the recordings underline that. 

The Rhythm Section of Camarillo and Jim Shapiro underpinned the Lead Guitar of John San Juan allowing the band to veer between Rock, Psych, Indie and even Pop Rock. San Juan's vocal is not a million miles away from Ray Davies and this is prevalent on the likes of Tomorrow Takes The Sun and Monday.

Yet there is a controlled looseness that prevented songs becoming Jams. At times they could resemble Man without the length, never feeling the need to keep a song continuing unnecessarily. San Juan is on fire at times, guitar wise, particularly on the likes of The Lummox and Secrets. Even more so on the awesome I Had A Room.

But Planets and The Sweetest Plum are Pop Gems and Elevator is almost Lounge. One Of The Guys edges into Space Rock and Psychic Space may be the best thing on the album, it's immense. It is, however. the title track that best explains what the band is all about.

If this is the final album, it is a fitting one. One Take stuff can be a warts and all thing, but Hushdrops turn it into an album of depth and versatility. The Static has the knack of providing songs that sound so simple on first listen, but repeated goes continue to reveal hooks that just grip you. Wonderful.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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The John Sally Ride - Now Is Not A Great Time

 

I've been a friend of Drummer, Sal Nunziato for quite a time. We share the same sense of humour, a mixture of the hilarious and the cynic. I also chat with John Dunbar regularly, mainly about music, we share similar tastes. Sal Maida is someone I admire as a fantastic Bass Player and strangely for someone so melody led, I am always driven to the Bass. His adventures are legendary and he was in Sparks for gods sake. 

So you'd be forgiven for thinking that I'd review and write great things about them. Their second album, Nothing Doing, was in the Top 10 IDHAS albums of 2018, deservedly so and now the third is upon us, inevitably delayed by the obvious.

Dunbar is a fine songwriter with a voice the right side of Power Pop, I've established Maida's credentials and Nunziato is a splendid drummer. There is more though, because there is a fourth member, Joe Pampel, who takes on Lead Guitar duties and this has added a whole new dimension to the sound.

It has brought out the best in both Sal's, inventive bass lines and some great rock drumming. The sound is bigger, wider and the Pop Rock now leans far more towards Rock. That's not saying the Pop isn't still present. The 60's Beat of She Doesn't Do Nostalgia is somewhere between the Small Faces and The Kinks with a solo that is Psych Pop with a slight jangle and some great vocal harmonies. 

That Pop is also present on what was the second single, Putting It Off. which is so so jaunty. You Let Her Break Your Heart Again is a Ballad that musically wants to be Toytown. Is It Over Already cleverly mixes a shuffle with a twang and a Bluesy riff and what about that Bass run?

It is the Rock that grabs you most though. He Doesn't Know That He Snores has Pampel throwing Townshend shapes and I Never Understood (Where I Stood With You) is classic mid 70's Guitar Rock territory on which Pampel excels. 

However my favourite is that first single, Far From Eaten Out, it has been an earworm for nigh on two years and is still a fantastic song. So the Power Trio have become an even more powerful Quartet, brilliantly so. Another point to make is Dunbar's lyrical strength matched up with some unusual song titles. This album transcends the Pop Rock label that the band have. I think "Top Notch" is the phrase that you are looking for. 

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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