Various Artists-A Kool Kat Kristmas Vol. 2. Kool Kat's 2010 A Kool Kat Kristmas was the best power pop Christmas compilation in recent years, so Ray Gianchetti & company decided to greenlight a sequel. And while it may not be as consistently great as the original, Volume 2 is another fine collection of power poppers giving us original holiday-themed tunes. The Pencils' "Christmas is Coming Again" starts things off in majestic fashion, sounding like an outtake from Phil Spector's A Christmas Gift for You, and the Honeymoon Stallions (f/k/a The Goldbergs) follow with the suitably jaunty "Snowbirds". Other standouts include the Tor Guides wishing for "Beatles Vinyl", The Geniune Fakes with the Christmas power ballad "You Always Come Back Home", Shake Some Action's typically jangly "Christmas in the Sun", and Stephen Lawrenson's unmistakeable Jeff Lynne-influenced psych-pop sound on "Glad it's Christmas". As with the first volume, proceeds from the disc will benefit the Susan Giblin Foundation for Animal Wellness and Welfare. Good music for a good cause - you can't beat that.
Secret Powers-Secret Powers 6. Another early Christmas present for power poppers is the return of Secret Powers. I have to admit, I was getting a bit worried about them; after releasing an album a year from 2008 to 2012, Ryan "Schmed" Maynes & the boys from Missoula, Montana had gone dark for 2 1/2 years. But they're back, and what they lacked in imagination in naming the disc they more than made up for with the new tunes. For those joining us in that time frame, what makes Secret Powers great is their heavy ELO/Jellyfish influence and knack for the great melody. The epic ballad "Bitter Sun" serves doubly well as an album opener and a re-introduction, and that leads us into the frantic and hyper-catchy "Palarium" (the most Jellyfish-esque of tracks) and the ELO homage "Spare Parts", which is half "Mr. Blue Sky" and half "Yours Truly, 2095" in its story of an android. Elsewhere, "She's Electrical" glides along on a sweet melody with all the band's attendant bells and whistles, and the closing ballad "Ready to Get Old and Die" evokes McCartney. Great to have these guys back.
The Tor Guides-Strawberries & Chocolates. What better way to break up the dreary drudgery of winter than with a bright, sunny slice of Swedish pop? The Tor Guides have the answer with their first album after their 2007 debut, Honeybees & Tangerines. This time it's Strawberries & Chocolates, and the tunes are as sweet as the title. Just like their compatriots The Merrymakers and The Tangerines, The Tor Guides make it sound effortless on tracks such as "Every Little Thing" which features Torbjorn Pettersson's slightly nasal vocals (almost like a Swedish Chris Collingwood) and Jeff Lynne-style production, the buoyant "Summer's Green" (featured on the most recent IPO collection) and the aptly-named "Sweet Apple Pie". The observant among you may have noticed this disc slotted in at #4 on David Bash's year-end list for 2012. Since it really didn't get a proper US release until around the turn of the year (late December on Kool Kat, mid-January on iTunes), I'm going to put it on 2013's account where it probably has a top 10 spot locked up.
Kool Kat | iTunes
Stephen Lawrenson-Obscuriosity. Stephen Lawrenson's third album (and first since 2009's Someplace Else) might just be his best to date. The Pennsylvanian power popper has signed on with Kool Kat, and he continues to perfect his ELO-meets-Crowded-House-with-a-little-Brian-Wilson sound. The title track is the real highlight here, inverting the usual order of things by making the verses more urgent than the chorus while all the while giving it a "lost classic" feel (in other words, an "obscuriosity"). "Words to Say" adds some jangle to the mix, and the piano-backed "Small White House" captures the mid-to-late-period Beatles vibe with all its attendant bells and whistles. This is top-notch stuff, and fans of this style won't want to miss it.
Stephen Lawrenson-Somewhere Else. Paisley Pop's Pennsylvanian power popper Stephen Lawrenson broke through in 2004 with Home, a fine disc that mixed the sound of Jeff Lynne with Crowded House, and he's finally released the followup, Somewhere Else. After the baroque instrumental "Theme from Somewhere Else", Lawrenson adds some punch to his power pop with "Let's Go", which has a Tommy Keene/Steven Wright-Mark sound, and "Home to Me" is a midtempo gem. Other standouts include the Harrisonesque "Anybody Else", the jangly "Faith in You" and the psychedelic "Truth". A recommended disc, and here's hoping we don't have to wait another 4-5 years for the next one.
Greg Lato-Monday Morning Breakdown. For those craving some "poppier pop", Providence, Rhode Island's Greg Lato is your man. This 8-track mini-album is slick top 40 pop in the vein of acts like Mika, The Feeling, Jack McManus & others. "Beautiful Woman" is the prize here, an upbeat tune with a great melody and all the top 40-type bells & whistles, including strings. The piano-based title track is another treat with harmonies that bring to mind First Class' 1974 hit "Beach Baby", and "Last Girl" is another song you'll love in spite of yourself. Although the whole genre of power pop could be considered a guilty pleasure, this one's a guilty pleasure for power poppers.
Wild Bores-Wild Bores. Last April, we told you about the teaser EP for this disc, and with the turn of the year, the full-length is now out. Wild Bores is Nashville-via-Chicago's John Whildin, and the sound here captures a mix of both of those cities: roots rock with a midwestern feel. "Whatever Makes You Happy" opens the disc and captures the essence of Whildin's sound - kind of a lighter Jayhaws/Wilco/Gin Blossoms mix. "My Home Town" has a Jeff-Tweedy-circa-Being-There feel, and "Lovely Place" is sweetly melodic. Anyone who enjoyed the recent Leave disc will enjoy this as well, as of course anyone who picked up the EP last year.