Marshall Holland-Paper Airplane. San Francisco's Marshall Holland is back with his first pop album in 6 years, and it's a welcome return. Holland's brand of winsome pop draws on bands like The Posies and artists like Brendan Benson and Ken Sharp. Some of these songs speak to our world today, like the driving, Attractions-era Elvis Costello stomp of "Our Fate" and the anti-Trump "Whatcha Gonna Do". Elsewhere he gives us timeless-sounding tracks like "When the Rain Comes" and "Waiting for the Peace & Love" which display his effortless-sounding pop as well as the McCartney-esque, largely acoustic "When a Hand Holds a Bird". And the sophisticated 70s singer-songwriter title track recalls Seth Swirsky. Another best of 2020 contender.
J.P. Cregan-Twenty. We've waited even longer for a new J.P. Cregan full-length as it's been 8 years since Man Overboard, and it's also great to have him back. Twenty is a concept album (or to use today's preferred term, a "song cycle") about his 20 years of marriage but you don't need to follow the concept to enjoy his sweet pop confections. "History of Man" is a great opener with melody and drive, and "In California" sounds like a old folk song brought to life with its martial beat and harmonica. "Pay to Play" is the kind of upbeat power pop you get from Michael Carpenter and Cliff Hillis, and "The Belle of USC" recalls the skinny tie sound of the late 70s. And "Fern, Destroyer of Worlds!" could almost be a lost Guided by Voices track. There's not a bad track here (I'm not counting the interstitial bits).
Robby Miller-Robby Miller EP. I don't know much about this guy and I forgot how I stumbled on to this EP about six weeks ago, but it's good stuff and "Lovesick Again" is the kind of silly pop that gets stuck in your head for good. "Freya" and "Take a Smile" are classic guitar pop, and "This Guy" and "Perfect Form" are perfectly fine ballads, but the gooey pop of "Lovesick Again" and its 80s-sitcom theme song sound is something else. You'll be hearing "Can't go in to work/whole body hurts/guess who's lovesick again?" on repeat in your brain if you dare listen.
Marshall Holland-Marhsall Holland & The Etceteras. After returning to the scene in 2011 for the first time since 2004 with a new EP, Marshall Holland is back with his first full-length in a decade and it's the first standout pop album of 2014. Continuing in the same vein as previous releases, the San Franciscan offers up his winning mix of Posies/Brendan Benson-styled pop that also brings to mind the likes of Phil Angotti and Ken Sharp. "Take Me" is an amiable opener that shows Holland's songcraft at its finest, and the ruminative "At 65" is like a grown-up "When I'm Sixty-Four". Meanwhile, "Oh Please" is first-rate jangle pop, and the primarily acoustic "Fool Me" is another melodic gem. Also included here is "Radio Style", released as a single last summer, in which Holland decries the state of radio today and makes a well-earned plea to listen to more music like his, done so of course in the most melodic of styles. The album officially drops this coming Tuesday, but you can pre-order at Bandcamp.
Steve Judd-Sugarcoated. Ottawa's Steve Judd brings up a mix of classic rock and power pop from north of the border with Sugarcoated and he isn't messing around, serving up a collection of crunchy melodic rocking tunes with sugar coating. The title track kicks things off in fine fashion (even mentioning the Russian mafia!), and "Takin' Us to Task" is a melodic rocker that splits the difference between Tom Petty and The Replacements. Elsewhere, "Lost and Found" slows things down a bit yet still rocks melodically, "99%" boasts a chorus that'll stick in your head, and "Liquid Courage" boasts a high jangle quotient. And Judd closes things out nicely near the end with the power ballad "Testament". This is a fine rocking disc, and I'm not sugarcoating things.
JoDee Purkeypile-October House. If the name sounds familiar to you, it's because JDP was the frontman of The Alice Rose, a Texas band who put out a pair of outstanding Jon-Brion-meets-Squeeze indie pop albums in the last 5 years. The obvious parallel here is Greg Pope; like Pope, Purkeypile plays all the instruments here, and in the same manner as when Pope left Edmund's Crown, the solo flight has allowed Purkeypile to distill the essence of the sound he first forged in the band setting. So this is more Jon Brion than Squeeze, and that's a good thing here as "Disappear from Here" is among the best songs he's written, a swirling pop gem in a minor key. "Your Days Ends as Mine Begins" is first-rate guitar pop, and the rollicking "Company Man" has a Jellyfish by way of Michael Penn vibe. Elsewhere, "Summer Sunday" is a lovely slice of mellow indie pop, and the propulsive "Autumn Mind" channels Neil Finn. I could see this one ending up in 2011's top 20.
Marshall Holland-Statistically I Should Say. San Francisco's Marshall Holland put out an overlooked gem in 2004 titled Don't Jettison the Memories, an album of first-rate power pop in the style of Brendan Benson and The Posies. He re-released it last year, and has followed that up with Statistically I Should Say, an EP of new material. Don't miss him this around, as this might be the best power pop EP of 2011. From the urgent opener "Your Lies" to the perfect power pop of "I'm OK (for Now)" - the album's best track - to the buoyant, synth-happy "Meet Me by the Blue Balloon", Holland give us a welcome return. So after you've digested this confection, make sure you go back and get Don't Jettison the Memories.