Late April Roundup.

Sofa City Sweetheart-Super(b) Exitos. Since we last checked in on Juan Antonio Lopez's Sofa City Sweetheart (looks at calendar, keeps flipping) in 2008, he's had a couple of sporadic releases in that time but Super(b) Exitos, his latest, is clearly his best and most cohesive effort since the debut EP. The frame of reference for his sound remains to me Elliott Smith at his most Beatlesque, and opener "The Same Old Song (You Were Always on My Mind)" has the kind of bouncy melody and ethereal vocals as Smith circa XO and the "la-la-la" refrain coupled with a nice guitar solo makes this track one of 2019's best to date. "Stanley Waited" is the kind of character miniature that the Kinks specialized in, and "Gwen" is another midtempo number which evokes Smith. Other standouts include lead single "Stop the Thinking" which channels Apples in Stereo, the bright pop of "In This Lifetime" and the lovely "Song for Alex". Lopez says in the release notes that the album is "his life's work" and the overall quality here reflects that and makes it a year-end list contender.

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The Top Boost-Dreaming EP. These guys from Vancouver caught my ear with their 2016 debut EP, and they've followed that up with three new tracks here that I'm calling an EP since it's not a single from an album (for the pedantic, they call it an EP on their Bandcamp page but iTunes refers to it as a single). The title track is a wonderful, jangly tune that features background vocals from - you guessed it - Roger Joseph Manning Jr, the man who's everywhere these days. "I'll Be There" is an old-school pop tune with a waltz signature, and "She Will Stay" is the most "power pop" of the three tracks. With only seven total tracks released in three years, they apparently value quality over quantity and when the EPs are this good, who am I to argue?

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Oscar Tango-Choice Morsels EP. No, this isn't a release from a dude named Oscar Tango, nor is it someone with the initials "O.T." using the NATO phonetic alphabet. Instead, it's four rocking tracks from Toronto's Ryan Farley that have a classic power pop sound. "London Station" has a catchy "but you can't get over that" chorus that recalls fellow Canadians Sloan, and "Harbour Lights" has a chorus that reminds me of Jay Ferguson's "Thunder Island" for some reason.

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Mid April Roundup.

Eric Barao-Obsolete EP. The long wait is over as Eric Barao returns with his first new music since 2013. You might be forgiven if you've forgotten about him in the meantime but his self-titled debut was #4 on my year-end list then, and once again the ex-Cautions frontman has enlisted the help of the Boston power pop mafia with Mike Viola and Ducky Carlisle playing on the record among others. Also appearing is Roger Joseph Manning, Jr., the self-styled "Prince of Power Pop" who's become as ubiquitous on indie power pop releases these days as Michael McDonald was on the soft rock scene of the late 70s/early 80s. But enough of the CV, how are the songs? "Nothing to See" kicks things off in grand Beatlesque fashion with an melodica/wordless vocal opening before settling into swirling psychedelia and some fine keyboard work. The title track is a piano-based pop/rocker with vocals from Viola and would have fit nicely into one of his Candy Butchers albums, "Unhappy Ending" rocks steady, and the goofily-titled "My Pussy-Puss" finds Manning joining Barao on vocals in a Queen homage while closer "New Lifestyle" is breezy, melodic pop. This one's going to be tough to beat for EP of the year.

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Nick Eng-Long Shot. The polar opposite of Eric Barao when it comes to time between releases, Nick Eng is back with his second alubm in a little over a year. His early 2018 self-titled debut placed at #15 on my year-end list, and Long Shot recaptures its 60s-influenced pop sound. The difference here is that the lyrical content is a little less feel-good than the debut but you'll likely be too busy humming along with the catchy tunes to notice. Top tracks: "For Tonight", "Too Good for Anyone", "Between You and Me" (which jangles like nobody's business) and "Maybe Tomorrow". No sophomore jinx here.

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Supraluxe-Sweet and Sticky. Also back is Supraluxe, the band whose debut inspired me to start this blog back in 2006. They've been a bit up and down in my estimation over the years but I enjoyed their previous release and their latest captures their classic Big Star-meets-Elliott Smith classic sound quite often here. "The Answer", "Over the Sun" and "Rainbow on My Shoulder" in particular make me want to party like it's 2006 and bring the "sweet", while other "sticky" tracks like "You Got the Jam", "Honey Attraction" and "Chocolate Gravy" find themselves stretching out a bit (with the latter almost downright funky) to fine effect. If you want something different but still with sweet melodies, the 'luxe will make a fine dessert.

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