I Don't Hear A Single Album Of The Year 2022 - Bandicoot

 

Due to my fascination with all things Crash Bandicoot, even calling our old Lurcher Crash, I was always going to be interested in a band called Bandicoot. Fortunately, the Swansea quartet's debut album is outstanding and there is no better label to be on than Libertino Records.

I do hope that the band don't get lobbed in with the Indie Brigade, because there is so much more to them than that. This is inventive and at times dramatic stuff, referencing the Glam Era of 72 - 74. This period has become a popular direction to aim at recently, but this isn't an album of hand claps and big drum stomps.

Black After Dark is more Art Rock, think early Roxy Music, John Cale even. This is helped enormously by both the Saxophone and keyboard sound. The Sax in particular is awesome, very Andy McKay, at times a bit Wizzard Brew. The only real Glam Rock is Fuzzy, which seems deliberately so.

A song like Early In The Morning has so much work in it. Starting like Radiohead, then builds and builds into a real sing along, before crashing back down to earth. It is a marvellous affair. In comparison, Dark Too Long races along, almost Avant Garde, a little Prog at times.

Life Death And Other Things is a little more second half of 80's Rock, yet Rhys Undertown's vocal on the splendid title track is foppish. Shadow Of A Former Time is a corking 70s Pop Rock ballad yet Train Station Mural is all Fuzz Guitar, interrupted by another great Sax break.

Siren is a Psych Freak Out of the highest order whilst Bleed Out is very Morrissey. It is testament to the album that any of the 13 songs could be picked out as a winner. Their is so much invention on show that you notice something extra on every listen.

Black After Dark is an album brimming with ideas, beautifully played and arranged. The Vocals are as magnificent as the Saxophone, an instrument that you don't hear enough in Rock these days. Bandicoot are Album Of The Year contenders, buyers will play this to death.

You can listen to and buy the download here. The Vinyl can be pre-ordered here.

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I Don't Hear A Single Album Of The Year 2021 - The Orange Peels

 

I don't use the term musical genius, because everyone seems to use it for the slightest thing, but if there is such a thing, then Allen Clapp is incredibly close to it. His band, The Orange Peels, suffer from both being ignored and being constantly labelled Power Pop, something they've never really been and are certainly not now. 

In a tortuous year for the band with family deaths and the near loss of their home and studio to the California Wildfires, the band have conjured up their most diverse and impressive album yet, a double no less. With a recent move to the Virgin Islands, this has become a sort of farewell to California and what a goodbye it is. 

The trio of Clapp, Jill Pries and Gabriel Coan make interesting intelligent music that is essentially Pop, but just labelling it that would make it seem far simpler and inconsequential than it is. There is such variety. Compare Whenever, which is a jaunty Sparks with Bates Motel sort of affair with the wonderful brooding 2 x 2.

Larkitekture is very mechanical, Bowie-esque yet at the same time a bit Marc Almond. Little White Bird is a crooner, yet Human has an all encompassing chorus. Then there is Mindego Hill is top notch Psych Pop, Toytown excellence. Magical Thinking is jaunty Synth Pop.

Those listening to just the first two thirds of the album would be forgiven for thinking that the album was a wonderful example of mid 80's UK Pop, but then you get to the real meat. Bookmarking the magnificent three part soundscape that is From The Sunflower To The Nightshade are two absolutely stunning songs.

From The Rosemary To The Rose is hypnotic, but Pastels may be the best thing that The Orange Peels have ever done. It is an incredibly captivating seven and a half minutes. Melody springs from everyone, it is a real feel good affair that despite its length, finishes way too soon.

Anyone expecting 65 minutes of jangling Something Strange Happens Guitar Pop are in for a surprise. A listen to the 2020 Autumn Fills The Skies Mix of that song would confirm the direction now. The Song is just as great in that mix, but very different.

Those who follow the band closely could have seen this album coming and will realise how outstanding it is. Newbies or Returners should listen to Celebrate The Moments Of Your Life as a debut album. This should be the soundtrack to your life. Open The Doors and let The Orange Peels in.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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I Don't Hear A Single Album Of The Year 2020 - The Corner Laughers

The Corner Laughers are a special band. Karla Kane rightly gets a lot of the main attention, but they are very much the sum of their parts. Khoi Huynh throws up McCartney-esque Basslines and provides a fine rhythm section with drummer, Charlie Crabtree. Meanwhile Guitarist and longtime IDHAS hero, KC Bowman's playing allows the band to genre hop as they do, effortlessly.

Both Huynh and Bowman are both multi instrumentalists which allows a lot of freedom and inventiveness, the latter also recorded and mastered the album. However, it is not just the case of the singer getting the attention, Kane is the songwriter and her Ukelele playing is prevalent. Her sugar sweet voice is all encompassing, coming in somewhere between Rachel Sweet and Kirsty MacColl.

The band are generally hard to pin down sound wise and on their fifth album, their first for Big Stir, this is even more so. You can feel the West Coast air on the songs, but they are also draped in UK Indie, a bit of Americana and some wonderful Psych Pop. There are at times hints of Xtc in Skylarking mode or Robyn Hitchcock, so it makes complete sense that the only cover on the album is written by a Cleaner From Venus.







This versatility is probably best demonstrated by Lomo Alta, which is borders on freeform Jazz. Where as The Calculating Boy is top notch Psych Pop with some fine guitar leads, Sister Of The Pollen could be sung on Ready Steady Go and Wren In The Rain is pure St Etienne. Changeling is Kirsty MacColl borrowing Madness's piano and what a guitar break! It is an absolute gem of a tune.

The Lilac Line has a bass line to die for, enhancing a sort of Americana Pop, this band are so good that they've invented a genre. The Accepted Time is a song for an imaginary film and Skylarks of Britain is an outstanding slice of Canterbury Folk, the band turn into minstrels. Lord Richard comes across like a Robyn Hitchcock song written for The Seekers.

The album is like an IDHAS wish list with appearances from Rex Broome of The Armoires and Bradley Skaught of The Bye Bye Blackbirds. Topped off by a cover of Martin Newell's Goodguy Son, I am a longtime fanboy of the great man. The thing is though that this cover fits the album perfectly.







Getting The Corner Laughers on the label is a massive coup for Big Stir. A label that is the brightest spot of the last decade and is set up to dominate the next decade. Big Stir, despite all the press, were never a Power Pop label and now they have hooked one of the most innovative bands of this century. Temescal Telegraph is an absolute joy. Album Of The Year Material for sure and well worth raiding your purse for.

You can pre-order the album on Bandcamp here or on the Big Stir site here. You can buy the band's back catalogue here.


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I Don't Hear A Single Album Of The Year 2019 - Norman

I've been telling everyone who would listen about how great this album is for the past month or so. I figured that I'd better tell you lot now. Norman have been around for quite some time, this is their fourth album and hopefully the one to hit pay dirt. The frustration kicks in here.

There are a few reviews of Buzz And Fade on the net and virtually every one says the same, obviously cut and pastes from some PR piece or Blurb. It's hard enough for bands to get their art to an apathetic or permanently busy audience. So if you are going to write something about it, show some interest in telling people why you like it, instead of the "Will This Do?" laziness.






An album as good as this deserves your thought and time, you need to listen to it properly. In their own small way, Norman have changed direction slightly. The songs here are even more focused, more complete and even more varied and it works beautifully. There's less focus on trying to write an anthem and this seems to have allowed the band to stretch out.

It's been six years since the Portland Oregon five piece released Into The Eventyr and Buzz And Fade has been well worth the wait. Hell You Are is an absolutely fantastic song. If Andy Partridge had wrote it, we'd be falling over ourselves to knight him. The fact that it is the ninth of the ten songs on show reveals how splendid the album as a whole is. Make No Bones about it, everyone should give it a listen.

The focus here is Indie, but not We Rock or We Think Indie. The feel is definitely more Brit than American. The nods to UK New Wave and Scottish Angular Pop are present too, but these fellas can play. Crystal Memory is so damn catchy and that catchiness runs through the old album. Already Gone has a great synth run, the song reminds me of the Pop element that was hidden away during Brit Pop.







A rhythmic song such as Nothing I Could Do is very Sugarplastic and contrasts well with the Noise Rock of Bindmender., which has a real Prog like keyboard run that duels with the lead Guitar. Easy To Love is pure Mitch Easter and My Old Ears is great Power Pop. The closer instrumental, Second Day Of Spring has a real Glam Rock stomp,

I really urge you to listen the whole album. Norman may have been around for 15 years or so, but this album sounds as fresh and exciting as a debut and that's its beauty. Buzz and Fade is up there for my Album Of The Year, it's certainly Top 10. It is an incredibly fine listen.






You can listen to and buy the album here. You should do both.


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I Don't Hear A Single Album Of The Year 2018 - Ex Norwegian

It's a never ending sense of frustration at IDHAS HQ that Ex Norwegian are not massive. If this were the Seventies, the momentum would have achieved this, but in these Spotify, one track wonder, move on to the next, albums have a hard time.

Roger Houdaille's Miami Beach trio deserve that success. This is album Number 9 in just over a decade and each has the happy knack of giving you what you want yet taking the music on a pace. No Sleep is great Pop Rock, albums that get made less and get heard in the mainstream even lesser.






Having two vocalists helps the variation. The decisions on who sings what are spot on. The sweet tones of Michelle Grand work beautifully on the likes of Marquee 1970's, a real stomp that you will have heard on the IDHAS Radio Show. Separately, Houdaille and Grand's vocals excel, it's also great to hear a joint vocal on the left field, Block.

The duo even get to sound all Deacon Blue on Triggered Weeknd. Grand's vocal on Maybe Next Time is Kirsty MacColl like. The whole album is a sort of best of 75 - 85 music wise, the new wave pace of Right Again is spot on.






Fernando Perdomo never seems to sleep and here he adds Guitar to Good Intentions and Making Deals. The former is a real Glam sing along, whilst the latter is the album's centrepiece. Making Deals is a real ear worm, all street attitude, it'll certainly be up there in my 2018 Review Of The Year.


The Perdomo solo on Making Deals is worth the admission alone. I can't emphasise how good the song is, so much so that it's the lead song embedded here. In a just world, people would be queuing outside record shops to buy No Sleep.  You'll just have to go second best and buy it where you can.






You can listen to and buy the album here. 

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I Don't Hear A Single Album Of The Year 2017 - Chris Price

I've been really remiss in not reviewing the new Chris Price solo album. Better late than never though. It's been five years since the magnificent debut, Homesick and in that time Price has been involved in the return of Linda Perhacs and most notably Emitt Rhodes.

Rainbow Ends, the Rhodes album, was joyous. An artist that we never thought we would hear again, encouraged by Chris Price and a stellar cast for the Jellyfish brigade, it was wonderful. Now it's back to the solo career.






Although I've seen comparisons to Billy Joel backed by The Beatles, I compare Price to two different artists that are more beloved to the Power Pop masses. I'd like to think that these are the sort of songs that Pete Ham would be writing if he were still with us.

There's also more than a touch of Todd Rundgren in comparisons. That Philly Soul meets Classic Rock vibe is certainly the in the likes of  Stop Talking. Algebra In The Sky is classic mid 70s Pop Rock, an age that I wished I still lived in. Think Jigsaw, 10CC etc.

Sigh is Jeff Lynne-ish with again overtones of Rundgren. One Of Them is jaunty Piano Rock. In between all this great singalong Pop, there are some great acoustic songs such as Anhedonia and Hi Lo.
Man Down wouldn't be amiss on a John Howard band album 

Anyone who can write a song as beautiful as You And Me (And Everyone Else) is worth following forever. There has been a lack of great Singer Songwriter albums over the past few years. Stop Talking is up there with anything that has gone before.

This is a great example of wonderful songwriting. It's sensational. You can buy it everywhere. You can also listen to it  here.


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I Don't Hear A Single Joint Album Of The Year 2016 - Nick Piunti

There are albums that you look forward to and I'll admit that I've been looking forward to this a lot.
You know a Piunti album is gonna be Power Pop, his voice naturally suits the format. You also know you are gonna get plenty of guitar, because the lad can play. More of the same would be more than enough.

However, Trust Your Instincts has far more than that. The riffs are still there, the solos are better than ever, the sing along choruses are all present, there's just loads more. It's not that it's a big departure from Beyond The Static or 13 In My Head, but there's an added lyrical depth and with that the songs seem more arranged and diverse. 

It's hard to explain because, it's the same, but different and all the better for it. I'd love to play you Dumb It Down, because it's an absolute gem of a song, but Nick has only made the first two tracks available for your listening delight. So here's the opener and title track which is more straight ahead Power Pop, chock full of the hooks that are a Nick Piunti song.

Dumb It Down has everything, a real meandering hook, jingle jangle and pedal steel. It reminds me a lot of The Posies as do quite a few songs on the album. Blame In Vain could be Tom Petty, Vaguely Familiar could be Don Henley.

Ready For What reminds me of The Shazam at their best. The Riff on As Far As I Throw will slay you and the closer, Stay Where You Are has loads of Byrds Jangle and the singalong chorus that you'd want
Here's the second track, One Hit Wonder, oh the chorus and that solo!

Nick's joined on the album by Ryan Allen, whose excellent album I reviewed earlier this week, Andy Reed, who is on a one mission to be involved in every great album released this year and Verve Pipe's Donny Brown.

10 Golden songs, even better than I had expected, this would be in my year's Top 20 because it's a Nick Piunti album. But it could very well be at the top of the tree. Absolutely wonderful!

You can listen to and buy the album here. 


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I Don't Hear A Single Joint Album Of The Year 2016 - Somerdale

Now this is the territory that I always feel at home in. New Jersey's Somerdale are a three piece power pop group that would easily be at home in 1975 UK fighting it out for a Top 5 spot with some Chinn and Chapman prodigy.

The album really is high class Pop Rock. In ASH's nine years, this is the sort of thing we usually celebrate. However, it's normally some lost album that we fawn about, Jigsaw, Pilot, Ace, you name 'em.
We've often mused about why there are no new bands doing this now. Well now we have Somerdale.





This sort of 70's Medium Wave Territory is something I spend a lot of time listening to and trust me, I know my stuff. I also get to listen to a lot more badly done stuff than good. "Shake It Maggie" has been the biggest surprise for me for a long time. It's fantastic.

Don't get the impression that the album is derivative, because it's not any way. It doesn't wear its influences on its arm. the songs just gently remind you of that time. "Take It From The Top" could be Liverpool Express and should probably be the lead single. "Waiting For You" could be Jigsaw. On other songs, you hear 10CC, The Arrows, Andrew Gold, the list goes on.

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"Puddles Of Me" could be prime time Badfinger.  "She's Leaving California" hints at a rocking John Miles. The biggest surprise is that Somerdale are American, they sound so English. Finally for the Power Pop Kids, well there's "The Coolest Kid In The Room", pure Fountains Of Wayne.

I remind readers often that this place is not for the gushing, I receive a lot of music and it's always appreciated. However I have a policy of only reviewing things that I like. I've done hatchet jobs on things that I don't in the past, I'd rather not these days, it's unfair and I just choose not to review them.

So when I tell you that this is the best thing I've heard in ages, you can trust that remark. Shake It Maggie is, it's a superb listen and right up my street. I read that they've released two albums before this, I'm just sorry I missed them, because this album is fantastic.

You can listen to the album and then buy the album here.  


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