Late February Roundup.

Ronny Tibbs-Lone Fry. Power poppers and indie poppers unite! - Detroit's Ronny Tibbs has given us 2019's first truly great release. Reminiscent of the likes of Nilsson, Brian Wilson and (a less frenetic-sounding) Bryan Scary, Lone Fry is a pop tour-de-force that opens with the brilliant "30-Year-Old Boy", a piano-based number complete with strings, backing vocals and a soaring melody. "All She Wrote" is first-rate guitar pop which recalls some of The Smithereens' moodier numbers, while "Watching Annie Over" sounds like a more fleshed-out Guided by Voices tune. "Mona Lisa" is another pretty piano-based track, and "Picture of Us" is where the Bryan Scary comparison comes in. Tibbs even throws in a couple of electronic-based danceable tracks with "Sunlight" and "Honourole" and then closes with the conventional power pop of "Breakout". Just call him Mr. Tibbs.

iTunes



Pale Hollow-Pilots. Still catching up on 2018 with this late-year release which found its way into my top 100 but warrants a special mention here because aside from being a fine album, it's the first we've heard from Cleveland's Michael Allen in 11 years. His 2007 debut was a great collection of folk/rock tunes with classic rock instrumentation which recalled the English countryside circa 1971, and the long-awaited followup continues in the same vein. "Can't You Hear the Highway" opens the album and encapsulates this sound perfectly, its easy-going melody getting a rock treatment. Tracks like "Trouble and "Empire" are almost bucolic, while the title track and especially "Flame On" are catchy uptempo rockers that would sound at home alongside The Kinks and The Faces. An enjoyable listen, although you may find yourself growing sideburns after you're done.

iTunes



Mark Crozer-My Home is a New Country. Whenever I compose one of these posts, I always do a quick search of my archives to see when the last time I posted on the artist. To my complete surprise I realized I've never featured a Mark Crozer album here despite him releasing several this decade, most of which made my year-end lists, so it's time to remedy this with his latest release. For the unfamiliar, Crozer is a classic power popper who's also spent time as a touring member of The Jesus and Mary Chain and by all means check out his back catalog. On the new one he grabs your attention out of the blocks with "Shock to the Heart", which reminds me of BOC's "Burnin' for You" with its prominent bassline and radio-ready melody. "Where I Come From" is another moody gem, "Turnabout Beach" is a slow-burner that'll grown on you, and "Lay With Me" channels solo Alex Chilton.

iTunes

CD of the Day, 1/29/08: Pale Hollow-Pale Hollow

Now here's an exceptional disc. Pale Hollow is Cleveland's Michael Allen and he recorded this album in Detroit, but don't be fooled - this is the sound of the English Midlands rather than the US Rustbelt, and he's given us a tasteful disc of the highest craft. Think Muswell-era Kinks as interpreted by Teenage Fanclub with an attention to craft and detail, and you have an early Best of 2008 favorite (Yes, the disc came out in December of 2007. So sue me.)

"Don't It Leave You Lonely" opens the disc and gives you a great idea of what you're in for the rest of the way. Coming down like a great lost Laurel Canyon 70s-era track, its breezy melody and midtempo beauty let you know that a pro is at work. "Sugarcane" follows with a more rocking sound, almost Neil Young-ish in parts but with a wonderfully melodic middle eight that will leave you humming. "Let the Change Begin" almost sounds like a grown-up Oasis; "Roll The Stone Away" reminds me of prime Peter Bruntnell; "Satisfied Mind" is excellent folk-rock in a Donovan-meets-Al Stewart manner, and "Soul Explosion" would make Ray Davies proud.

A very pleasant surprise indeed, and kudos to Kool Kat for unearthing this gem. While it may not appeal to the under-35 crowd, music fans of any age would be well served to add this one to their collection.

CD Baby | MySpace

NOTE: The four tracks at MySpace are downloadable, although it's hit or miss at the moment.