Monday roundup.

The Slingsby Hornets-Whatever Happened To... Frank E. Slingsby (nee Jon Paul Allen) and his Hornets are back with another mix of covers and originals just like last year's Introducing The Fantastic Sounds, and it may be even more fun this time around. This time around, the covers include "Pictures of Matchstick Men" and "For Your Love", but my favorite here is all-time cheesy classic, the Bay City Rollers' "Rock 'n' Roll Love Letter". The originals are pretty good, too: "Way of the World" has a baroque opening but settles into a Posies-like groove; "Flying Tonight" is a pretty mid-tempo number, and "Black & White Movie" recalls Teenage Fanclub. And if you act now, he'll throw in a 5-track bonus disc of covers titled Knee Deep In Glitter and featuring his take on classics like "Does Your Mother Know" and "Devil Woman".

CD Baby | MySpace

Steven Wright-Mark-Sideshow Freak. Some of you may recall Steven Wright-Mark from Pop Motel, his debut of a few years ago. Those who don't (and those who do) can jump right on board with his latest, Sideshow Freak. This one hits all the power pop sweet spots with a sound reminiscent of Matthew Sweet combined with Elvis Costello, and a pop sensibility shared by the recently reviewed Rob Bonfiglio. Standouts include "Change", "Baby's Coming Home", "Because of You" and "The Real You", which I've helpfully embedded below. Good stuff.

Not Lame | MySpace | Listen at Lala

The Real You - Steven Wright-M...

Hangar 18-The Alien Highway. When I first came across this disc from this New Jersey band, I noticed it had 20 tracks. It's been my experience that in the case of new bands this is more of an indication of quantity rather than quality, so I was skeptical before I started listening. Sometimes it's good to have your instincts proven wrong, as The Alien Highway is excellent Beatlesque/British Invasion power pop. Highlights (too many to list in full) include the staccato guitars of "Anymore", the uptempo "My Shirt", the rocking "She Rocks", the pensive "Two Tone" (which recalls Icecream Hands), and the Michael Carpenteresque "Talk to Me". Plus, they throw in a cover of The Beatles' "You Can't Do That". I can't recommend all 20 tracks, but the hits far outweigh the misses so you'll still get your money's worth.

CD Baby | MySpace | Listen at Lala

Anymore - Hangar 18

CD of the Day, 12/13/08: The Respectables-Sibley Gardens

Martha Reeves once sang "Can't forget the Motor City", and in 2008 that admonition certainly applies to the power pop community. With great releases from bands such as The Offramps and The Romeo Flynns already on the books, up step The Respectables to keep the Detroit power pop flag flying high. Motown may not be getting much love from Washington DC these days, but it should be getting some from you as Sibley Gardens is another Detroit-based winner.

Like the bands mentioned above, The Respectables bring the characteristic Motor City grit to their power pop, and leadoff track and first single "Charged by the Minute" gets down to brass tacks right away - think Mitch Ryder meets Cheap Trick. The midtempo "Could It Be" allows Nick Piunti (who has the appropriately raspy voice for these tunes) & Company to show off their melodic gifts in service of a fine Westerbergian number. "To My Knees" is a retro-sounding gem that has some melodic elements in common with "Paint It, Black", and "When You Come Around" is a raucous rocker that still delivers the hooks. Other standouts include "Bottom of the Sea", an Oasis-style rocker, the staccato guitars (and ukelele!) of "From This Place", the bluesy hard rock of "Pick Your Poison" and "When You Gonna Be Mine", which closes the album not with a wimpy ballad but with another capital-D Detroit rocker.

So make sure you check out The Respectables. For only $11, you can help keep a Detroit industry afloat, and you get a rocking CD in return.

CD Baby | MySpace

Kickbacks Freebie!

While the title of this post may seem as if it has something to do with Rod Blagojevich, it's actually a free 5-song EP (or sampler, to be accurate) from The Kickbacks' Even The Blues disc, reviewed in this space a couple of weeks ago. They're giving the songs away for the rest of the month on their official site, so grab 'em while you can.

CD of the Day, 12/10/08: Rob Bonfiglio-Bring on the Happy

Rob Bonfiglio might not be a household name (at least in power pop households), but the bands he's been in are. A longtime member of Wanderlust and most recently in charge of The Skies of America (whose Shine was one of 2006's best), he now has his first proper solo disc out and he's going to Bring on the Happy for power pop fans everywhere.

Much as he did in The Skies, Bonfiglio has a power pop sound that's big - big choruses, big hooks, big melodies. It's kind of a cross between indie power poppers like The Meadows and Velvet Crush and big name artists like Matthew Sweet, Collective Soul and Oasis. "Nothing Will Hold You Down" jumps out of your speakers right away, with hints of poppy funk/R&B in the verses matched with a big rock chorus. "That's Alright" is a hooky rocker in the Matthew Sweet vein, while the midtempo piano-based "How to Mend a Heart" brings to mind artists such as David Mead and Randy & The Bloody Lovelies.

Meanwhile, "React" brings to mind an old test I've had for albums over the years. If the fourth song is right up with the first three, the odds are very strong that the album as a whole will be outstanding. By track #4, really good albums will hit a groove and develop a momentum of their own. By bringing this up, it should be no surprise that the rocking "React" passes this "fourth track test" with flying colors. The hooks continue relentlessly on "What You Need", which doesn't wear out its welcome at 5:41. Bonfiglio does a good job of mixing it up as "Straight From the Heart" follows, a wonderful Brian Wilson/Bacarachian number. The rest of the disc is sublime as well: the Rundgrenesque "The Best Is Yet to Come", the good time Stonesish rock of "Blow Me Away", and the wonderful closing ballad "Some Days are Better".

If I could boil this review down to one word, it would be "quality". Nothing even close to resembling a bad track, a professional sound, and just one hook after another. Power poppers everywhere can't ask for much more than this, and Bring on the Happy may be bringing on my top 10 (which reminds me, I need to get cracking on the year-end list).

CD Baby | MySpace

New David Mead!

Longtime readers of this blog know what a David Mead fanboy I am, so I'm quite pleased to pass on the news that his new disc, Almost and Always, is available for download through NoiseTrade. Well, the first half of it at least (for now). Click on the widget below, and you get the option of a free download by telling five friends, or pay what you want. I'd urge the latter, since there are few artists more deserving.

Mini-review time.

I've accumulated several discs that I've been meaning to mention, so I'm going to catch up by giving them a sentence or two with the appropriate links. All are worthy of a listen:

The Crowd Scene-With Complete Glossary for Squares. This Virginia band is back with their first disc in several years, and it's a wonderful example of pop with a British sensibility as the sound is a cross between Ray Davies, Elvis Costello and John Lennon. After that description, would it surprise you that the best track on the disc is titled "Edward Learjet"? CD Baby | MySpace | Stream at Official Site

Mike Pettry-The Voices in My Head. If you're in the mood for sardonic, quirky New York piano pop, Mike Pettry's your man. A listen to the title track will tell you where he's at, and there's even a song about checking SiteMeter to see how many visitors your site gets ("Hits"). CD Baby | Listen at Lala

Cherrystone-Our Life. Fine Beatlesque EP from this London band (not to be confused with the plurally named Cherrystones). And when I say Beatlesque, I mean really Beatlesque. Unfortunately, their fab tunes are not found on MySpace, so you'll have to settle for the short CD Baby samples, although you can listen to "Our Life" at Lala. CD Baby | Two tracks at Lala.

Shane Barry & The Distractions-Radio Friction. This seems like one of those discs that's destined to be criminally overlooked (and I suppose I'm doing so as well by mentioning it here instead of a standalone review), as it's a genre-busting power pop disc of sorts. Rooted in a 70s sound, it's not just 70s-style power pop but pop with some R&B and punk mixed in as well. Opener "Let It Be Known" sounds like a lost FM classic, and the funky piano of "Kites" recalls McCartney's "Ninety Hundred and Eighty Five". A really cool album. CD Baby | MySpace | Listen at Lala

David Dewese-Make the Best of It. In which the erstwhile frontman of The Luxury Liners and The Foxymorons goes solo, with satisfying results in that lead-singer-goes-solo kinda way. "Dear Self" has the makings of a classic, and "Without You" is the kind of laid-back number lead singers gone solo tend to excel at. Not quite the triumph of another southern power popper's contemporaneous solo debut (Greg Pope of Edmund's Crown), but still definitely worth your ear time. CD Baby | MySpace | Listen at Lala

Thursday Roundup.

The Warm Fuzzies-The Bubblegum EP. Athens, Georgia is known for R.E.M. and a host of "college rock" bands, but it can produce some fine power pop as well. The Warm Fuzzies hail from Athens, and their debut Bubblegum EP is a treat. Aside from the physical disc itself which has a bubblegum scent, the songs are chewy and tasty as well. There's a bit of the Weezer about them, which is apparent in opening track "Hey, Milunka". Nor would it be shocking to know there are synths in "Space Invaders" or "All My Friends are Robots", the latter of which bears some Superdrag influence. And they ask the musical question that amazingly has not been asked until now: "Why Do Girls Wear Big Sunglasses?", which they rhyme with Onassis (as in Jackie). Did I mention this EP was a lot of fun?

CD Baby | MySpace

Magdalena-Magdalena. When I mention piano pop, I'm guessing that Ben Folds and his acolytes immediately spring to mind. Well, the California band Magdalena is piano pop, but more in the Coldplay/Keane manner. And that's a good thing here, as they just strive to write good songs without being smartalecky and all that. "The Resolution" is just a flat-out fine pop tune, and "A Chance to Follow" reminds me of Jay Ferguson's piano-based numbers in Sloan. "The One" boasts pop smarts as well, while "Come Inside" brings Jack McManus to mind and "Want You (Real Bad)" is similar in feel to Frank Ciampi and The 88. Magdalena may not be reinventing the wheel here, but there's something to be said for an unassuming, all-around, honest-to-goodness quality pop disc.

CD Baby | MySpace

Fawkes-Curiosity and Consequence. When I first came across this band, I assumed they had to be English, given their namesake, the failed revolutionary and mythic English figure Guy Fawkes. But no - they're as American as apple pie, hailing from SoCal. Still they don't sound Californian; they're much more in the Crowded House ballpark, and opening track "Drive You Home" is classic Finnpop (I'm talking Neil, not Finland). "Try It Again" continues in this vein, sounding like one of Finn's more rocking tracks on, say, Together Alone. "I Need Love" is a fine acoustic ballad, and the curiously titled "Mulch" is a rollicking piano pop number that has a hint of Jellyfish to it. This one nearly slipped by me, but I'm real glad it didn't.

CD Baby | MySpace | Listen at Lala

CD of the Day, 12/2/08: Your Gracious Host-Your Gracious Host

Flint, Michigan has been synonymous with documentary filmmaker Michael Moore and as ground zero for the economic blight that has hit the manufacturing sectors of the United States, but there is a flower in the dirt: Your Gracious Host, the new project from Flint singer/songwriter Tom Curless. YGH has fashioned one of the most audacious tricks in the music industry book - the double-disc debut album - and has pulled it off. Curless mixes indie pop and power pop to fine effect, and fans of Teenage Fanclub, The Shins, XTC and a host of other similarly minded and sounding bands will enjoy this generous offering.

The uptempo "Minutes=Hours" begins the proceedings, and it has a TF vibe; the densely melodic "Admit to Myself" recalls Elliott Smith; "Changed So Much" sounds a track off the Pernice Brothers' Yours, Mine & Ours album; The acoustic guitar-driven "The Big Leap" has a breezy, 70s feel; the power poppin' "Time to Spare" brings Robert Pollard to mind, while "Reaching Stars" is positively Posies-esque. And that's just the first disc.

Disc 2 rocks a bit more and features "I Feel Alright", a rootsy power pop number in manner of Marshall Crenshaw; the driving "Why You're Here"; the dreamy "Taking Time Away", which also channels The Posies; "Really Too Late", which brings a bit of Bob Mould into the mix; and closes with the lovely "Cloud In The Sky" which has a bit of a High Llamas/Cloud Eleven feel. All in all, there's 21 tracks here for the price of a single disc, and if they all don't work for you, odds are at least 2/3rds of them will. You'll want to RSVP to Your Gracious Host.

CD Baby | MySpace

CD of the Day, 12/1/08: The Well Wishers-Jigsaw Days

If power pop were like a sports league, Jeff Shelton might be the frontrunner for MVP. From his work in the The Spinning Jennies to his current role as frontman for The Well Wishers to his work in keeping the power pop flame alive through active participation in Audities and his podcast (The Power Pop Show), Shelton does it all in our neck of the woods. Although it seems like yesterday when Shelton formed The Well Wishers, the newly released Jigsaw Days marks the band's fourth full-length release and as usual, he delivers the goods.

The dominant sound for the Wishers is a midtempo jangly pop that finds its closest match in The Posies, especially as Shelton sounds like a cross between Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer. "Heroes" jumps off the disc in much this manner, and if you have their previous releases, it's like putting on your favorite comfortable sweater. "All The Suckers" rocks harder than the average Well Wishers track, but that's a good thing here; "Conscience Breaking Down" throws a few melodic curves, with a light 80s britpop influence, and Shelton goes largely acoustic in "Florida", his ode to my home state, which is greatly appreciated if for no other reason than it's not the 48927898099th song about California. Elsewhere, the one-man-and-his-disorted-guitar sound of "Drunk on the Tilt-O-Wheel" recalls The Replacements' "Answering Machine", and Shelton really lets loose on his axe in "Moving Mountains" and "Love Lies" is pure jangly bliss. By the end, I really couldn't help but starting chanting "M-V-P", "M-V-P". I got some funny looks, but you had to be there.

CD Baby | MySpace | eMusic

Black Friday Roundup.

Crazed Outlook-Double Talk. NYC's Crazed Outlook is back, and their sophomore effort following up 2006's Crazed Out is another disc worth your while. Much like the first disc, the operative sound here is Elvis Costello by way of John Wesley Harding as frontman Matt Crazed is a vocal ringer for the two (esp. Harding). Plenty of standout tracks here: opener "Casual Dating" looks at the practice with a jaundiced eye; "Society Says" is kind of a "Career Opportunities" for the 21st century; "Breakup Songs are Boring"'s title speaks for itself; and "Peer Pressure" extends the sensibility found throughout the disc. Fans of Graham Parker and The Figgs will want in on this one, too.

CD Baby | MySpace

The Kickbacks-Even the Blues. Dependability is an overlooked concept in music when we're all looking for the newest bright, shiny object. Even The Blues is the fifth disc from The Kickbacks, and it's another high-quality offering that might be their best yet. Despite hailing from Boston, Tad Overbaugh & Co. have the midwestern rock sound down, kind of a golden mean between Paul Westerberg and Tom Petty. It's not always easy to be rocking and tuneful, but The Kickbacks most certainly are. The one-two punch of "Figure You Out" and "Going Out to Get Home" tell you all need to know about the band, but they do throw in some twists. "Motel Stars" (the title of their previous disc) has some Stones-y swagger to it, "Getaway Car" is a gentle ballad in the vein of "Skyway", and "Isolation Blue" has a jangle to it. Kick back with the Kickbacks, you won't regret it.

CD Baby | MySpace

The Bigfellas-Chubbed Up. And now for something completely different. This San Diego band has a twisted take on pop, and while you wouldn't want your entire music collection to consist of discs like this, zero of them is too few. Where else do you get a hilarious gangsta rap take on golf (with the backing track being "Love's Theme"), "Mr. Blue Sky" played on banjos, the Gershwinesque romp "I Wish That I Were Gay" and the Francophile "Vous Ne Parlez Francais"? Nowhere, I tell you. So if you want to have a laugh, and a think, and hear some damn creative pop music in the process, get Chubbed Up with The Bigfellas.

CD Baby | MySpace

CD of the Day, 11/25/08: Birdwatchers of America-There Have Been Sightings

There's just something about the debut disc from Boston's Birdwatchers of America that defies categorization. First of all, is it an EP or a full-length? Nominally it's 13 tracks clocking in at 40 minutes, which sounds like a full-length. But 6 of the 13 tracks are spoken-word interstitials, so there are really only 7 proper songs here, which is more like an EP. And if the format classification is tricky, the sound is even more so. Not quite power pop, not quite jangle-rock, not quite classic rock, but not quite Americana, There Have Been Sightings may be tough to pin down genre-wise but is an outstanding accomplishment nonetheless.

After the first of six brief spoken-word musings on ornithology, "Rain Down The Chimes" bursts through the speakers with a classic sound that recalls birds spelled with a "y" instead of an "i", but not as jangly. There's a bit of the Third of Never and The Grip Weeds in this track, yet it stands on its own as melodic, atmospheric rock. "Ashes of the Sun" pushes the six-minute mark, but never wears out its welcome as it first appears a straightforward midtempo rocker but builds an interesting momentum. "The Boy Emperor and G.I. Joe" recalls Sound of Lies-era Jayhawks, when Gary Louris was attempting to channel Alex Chilton, and is another quality track. Elsewhere, "Save The Berlin Wall Committee Blues" also leans Americana, with more the feel of some of Wilco's more adventurous Mermaid Avenue outings; "Call From Virginia" is a 7-minute gem which makes me rethink my philosophy that the best pop songs shouldn't exceed 3-4 minutes, and the final proper track "My Stolen Bird" is another fine tune in the overall vein of the disc.

With its idiosyncratic retro-yet-new pop sound and loose concept, this disc has the makings of a pop cult classic that some tastemaker will unearth 10-15 years from now. But don't wait until then - grab what may turn out to be 2008's most singular pop release today.

CD Baby | MySpace | eMusic

CD of the Day, 11/19/08:The Hush Now-The Hush Now

The Hush Now are a three-piece out of Boston led by frontman/songwriter Noel Kelly, and they've crafted a quality debut that dabbles in indie pop, college rock, and power pop. In essence, they've distilled a classic 80s/early 90s sound that recalls Teenage Fanclub, The Posies, Guided by Voices, and even at times REM.

"Bedtime Stories", the first track after a brief intro, beings with TF harmonies and ends with a Psychedelic Furs vibe, while "Vancouver" also follows in That 80's Sound. "Sadie Hawkins' Dance" is the first single, and it's a bright uptempo track the recalls The Ocean Blue, and "Pining" is a real treat, a midtempo atmopsheric number where the Posies comparisons apply. Other standouts include "Traditions", a throwback to the early REM sound, and "Landlord and tbe Tenant", another uptempo winner.

If quality 80s-influenced indie pop is your thing, I'll just hush now and let you click on one of the links below:

CD Baby | MySpace | "Sadie Hawkins Dance" mp3

Hospitalized.

I'm currently in the hospital with some adbominal issues, and if things go OK, I should be out around the end of the week. Just like the guy in the photo, I have my laptop and the hospital has wi-fi, so depending how I feel I may squeeze out a review during the week.

UPDATE 11/19: Getting out tomorrow. Thanks for all the well wishes!

EP-alooza!

Three high-quality EPs to check out:

Sofa City Sweetheart-Sofa City Sweetheart. Sofa City Sweetheart is LA's J. Lopez, and his self-titled debut EP is a melodic marvel. The sound here is reminiscent of John Lennon, Elliott Smith, Jon Brion and independent poppers like Plasticsoul and Adrian Whitehead. "Good News for Jackie" is right out of the Brion playbook, and "Maria" is pure pop bliss with a bridge that sends the song to another level. "Julia (We Never Wanted You)" sounds like Elliott Smith in his Beatles phase (think "Baby Britain", and the breezy melody of "Sunflowers" begs for the whistling break about 2/3 of the way through. "The Magic Umbrella" completes the EP with its own magical mystery tour of sounds. Look for this one high up the year-end EP list.

CD Baby | MySpace | Listen at iLike

Justin Kline-Six Songs. Back in 2006, a group called The Heartstring Band put out a quality EP titled Aurora Songs Vol. 1, which to my surprise upon looking back at this site's archives was never mentioned here. I'll correct that oversight now, and note that the frontman of that band was Justin Kline, who now has an EP of his own out, and it's a leap forward for him. This is one of those EPs that jumps out of your speakers and grabs you by the lapels (or shirt collar) - as soon as you hear the chorus of "All I Need", you know you're in for a ride full of pop goodness. "Heart Attack" brings Roger Joseph Manning Jr. to mind (Kline has a somewhat similar voice), and "How I Became The Wind" recalls Manning's band (Jellyfish) as well as the aforementioned Adrian Whitehead. The influence of Jeff Lynne is at work in "Kaledioscope", while "Singing in the Air" and "Sunshine" close things out with more flawless power pop. An outstanding solo debut.

"Heart Attack" mp3 | MySpace | Listen at Lala

Paul Spencer & The Maxines-Either Sunset or Sunrise. Rounding out our trip of primo EPs is another artist that I've been remiss to mention on this site: Paul Spencer & The Maxines. They've put out a couple of no-nonsense, hard-poppin' garagey discs, most notably last year's Cut The Jive. Here they take a sonic left turn as the EP is largely acoustic and Americana-influenced. One of the bands they've been compared is to the Replacements, and they compare opener "Whatever Forever and Ever" to the Mats' "Answering Machine". It does have that same acoustic-punk quality to it, while "Sunny Town for Shady People" has a Tex-Mex feel to the proceedings. "Clara Bow" is a real stunner - an ode to a 1920s silent film star complete with a tasteful string section. Spencer breaks out the Rickenbacker on "Hurry Up & Wait", a Latin-tinged number, and the EP closes with "The Man With The 30 Second Memory" a 1:16 ditty that leaves you wanting more.

CD Baby | MySpace

CD of the Day, 11/10/08: The Bye Bye Blackbirds-Houses & Homes

Whenever an artist puts out a smashing EP, the inevitable cry is "bring on the full-length". San Francisco's The Bye Bye Blackbirds burst onto the scene in 2006 with the high-quality Honeymoon EP, and two years later, the full-length has arrived. Houses & Homes was worth the wait, as they build on the indie-pop/power pop sound of Honeymoon and take it to the next level.

"The Ghosts are Alright" leads off the disc, and the band is alright as well. A jangly number that's as much Byrds as Beulah, it never wears out its welcome at 5:02. The absolutely lovely "Shed The Skin" follows, reminiscent of Elliott Smith and complete with "Because"-like ethereal backing harmonies. "In Stereo" channels the Go-Betweens, while the plaintive "Edge of Town" brings to mind the mellower moments of Big Star such as "What's Going Ahn?". Elsewhere, "Original Streets" flirts with a Latin feel, especially with the trumpet, and "Leave a Light On" is a wondefully melodic indie pop number. Despite the horrible real estate market, these Houses & Homes are holding their value.

Kool Kat | MySpace | eMusic

CD of the Day, 11/6/08: Charley Dush-September's Sun

As long-time readers of the site well know, my favorite genre after power pop is alt-country/Americana, so when an artist is at the junction of these two genres I definitely take notice. St. Paul's Charley Dush is one such artist, and he's refined his art to a craft here on September's Sun, his fourth album. Members and former members of such bands as The Jayhawks, Son Volt and The Honeydogs help Charley out here, and if your tastes run in the George Harrison/Tom Petty/Traveling Wilburys area, this disc is a real treat.

"Whiskey Mama" opens on the country side of things, all fiddle, honkytonk piano and sing-along choruses, while "Drug Test Blues" follows, reminiscent of a more uptempo "For You Blue". "Trouble" is just a flat-out great pop tune, with sweet harmonies and backing fiddles; "Come In From The Cold" is a midtempo roots number a la the Wilburys' "End of the Line", and "Maybe Mounds Park" is a Kinks-style rocker in a pensive key. Other highlights include the Beatlesque "Sorry", the rollicking "Jukebox Pulpit" and the trippy 5:44 closing title track, which gives Dush and his mates some room to strech out. Another winner from perhaps Popicana's most consistent artist.

CD Baby | MySpace

CD of the Day, 11/4/08: The Smith Bros-Restless

It may be Election Day in the USA, but forget Obama & McCain for a minute and cast your vote for The Smith Bros., who hail from the swing state of Ohio. Their new full-length Restless will take your ears in a landslide, without a hanging chad in sight. Now that I've dispensed with the electoral metaphors (had I done this another day, I would have gone the cough drop route), let me just say that this disc looks likely to be up there when the year-end list gets compiled.

Their sound is very reminiscent of Teenage Fanclub, with some Posies and a bit of Gin Blossoms/Tom Petty/heartland rock thrown in. If you don't hear the TF influence in the opening track, I'd tell you "How Wrong You Are", while the rocking "Down to You" brings to mind The Wallflowers and Minibar. "She's Under My Skin" has kind of a "Heartland Beatles" sound, and "Talk of the Town" betrays some Elvis C influence. Meanwhile, the straight-up power pop of "Every Day Gets Better" gets better with each listen, and "You Did It All" is another winner in the TF mold. Elsewhere, "Moments" is a more rocking Rembrandts-style track, and the midtempo "My Great Regret" has just the right mix of melancholy and melody to capture the song's mood. An outstanding disc from end to end, and fans of hyper-melodic pop will not be disappointed.

Jam Recordings | Not Lame | Kool Kat | MySpace

Sunday Morning Roundup.

The Wellingtons-Heading North For The Winter. This fine Aussie band is now out with their third release, and I love the motto at their CD Baby page: "life's too short to listen to bad power pop". That's kind of the mission statement here as well, and you won't be wasting any precious minutes by giving this disc a spin. For the unfamiliar, The Wellingtons specialize in upbeat power pop, blending youthful exuberance with a classic sound, and Heading North For The Winter might be their best yet. The first five tracks blast out of the gate in their best The Argument-meets-Rooney sound; the sixth, "Natalie", is a gem as well, recalling Big Kid and Jellyfish. One high-tempo melodic gem after another.

CD Baby | MySpace | Listen at Lala

The Riffbrokers-Weight of Line and Intersection. This act from Washington state has always sported one of my favorite band names, and their excellent roots rock has consistently lived up to their moniker. If I could describe their sound in a sentence, I'd say it would be as if Elvis Costello grew up in the Pacific Northwest and fronted The Replacements. "Told You to Go" kicks things off with just the right mix of swagger, definance and yes, riffs; "Evaporate" is another barnburner, "Myth to Struggle With" shows they can take it down a notch and still deliver the goods, "Roy Orbison" pays tribute to the man in their own style, rather than trying to imitate the inimitable, and "End of All Things" is a standout closer. Riff On!

CD Baby | MySpace

Luke Jackson-...And Then Some. Here's a treat. Toronto's Luke Jackson hooked up with Magnus Börjeson of Beagle and Favorita, and went to Sweden to record this pop gem that will appeal to fans of the aforementioned band as well as anyone who likes smart, sophisticated, melodic pop. "Come Tomorrow" might be one of the songs of the year: an insanely catchy chorus, great melody and just overall pop perfection. The rest of the songs have a tough act to follow, but they come through as well: the laid-back "Trouble" has a fine Josh-Rouse-does-the-70s sound; Jackson dons a Cockney accent in the fun, uptempo "Goodbye London"; "Half a World Away" is a jangly number with definite Swedish influence; and "Longest Day" is a rocking power popper a la fellow Canadian Tal Bachman. Don't let this one slip by you.

CD Baby | MySpace

CD of the Day, 10/30/08: Class Three Overbite-Horses for Courses

Mike Elgert and Brad Jendza have done it again. The duo known as Class Three Overbite has followed up their 2007 debut Rendezvous with perhaps an ever better disc this time with Horses for Courses. Lots of bands can capture the sound of the 70s, but few can capture its spirit, and CTO are one of those bands. Equal parts the sound of Queen, T-Rex, Jellyfish and other band who aren't afraid of putting some spunk in their power pop, Class Three Overbite still manages to not bite off more than it can chew.

That becomes apparent right off the bat with "Storm's Comin'", a cornucopia of falsetto vocalls, funky riffs, and guitars that rawk. If this one doesn't grab you, you may already be comatose. "Chasin' The Rabbit" sounds like a secular Rick Altizer fronting Queen, and "Sunshine" is Freddie Mercury gone flower child. "Reptiles" will make the day, if not week or month, of anyone who thinks the power pop world revolves around Jellyfish, and if there's any justice in the world, Paul Thomas Anderson will re-release the movie Boogie Nights with "Porn Addict" included in the soundtrack. "Wait For Me" is another standout with its Brian May guitar sound, "She Can't Make a Decision" is pure rock, and I always thought "Lex Luthor" deserved his own song. Finally, "You'd Better Love" is the perfect kind of overblown (and I mean that in a good way) power ballad to close out an album like this.

Coming back to their most profound influence, I'd say this is the best Queen album not named after a Marx Brothers movie that you'll find, and another year-end top-part-of-the-list contender to a year that started off slowly but is finishing strong.

CD Baby | MySpace

CD of the Day, 10/28/08: Allen Devine-Poportunity

Boston's Allen Devine has been around for a while - this is his fourth solo release - but he's mostly focused on the instrumental side of guitar rock. Fortunately for us he's decided to go the power pop route, and the results are one of the year's more pleasant surprises. Poportunity (love those titles with the "pop" play on "op-" words - when do we get Poperation or Poptimist or Poptometry?) is classic power pop in the vein of The Goldbergs, Marshall Crenshaw, the recent Galaxies release and others that just have "that" sound.

"What In The World" starts things off with some meat-and-potatoes power pop with a few neat flourishes, such as the Del Shannon-like guitar bits and some rock 'n' roll piano. "It's on the Way" (now playing over to your right) has a mellow-but-jangly vibe that recalls Bobby Sutliff; "Tonight" really does sound like a track from one of the Goldbergs discs; the 1:53 "Janine" has a 60s feel, and "My Baby Sezz" throws a bit of a curveball, a country-ish honky tonk number with sax. Elsewhere, "I Never Really Said Goodbye" sounds like a Big Star-era Alex Chilton ballad, and "Change" rocks with abandon. In keeping with the best traditions of power pop, the whole affair consists of 10 tracks clocking in at just under 25 minutes, so Poportunity never comes close to wearing out its welcome. If you're starved for vintage power pop, this disc may be your best "poption".

CD Baby | MySpace | eMusic | Listen at Lala

Another singer-songwriter roundup.

Jonathan Rundman-Insomnia - ccomplishments. Jonathan Rundman has been one of the more underappreciated artists of the decade in the genre, and his 2004 release Public Library was a real treat: smart, literate, wry and rocking. For the unfamiliar, you might also want to get a start with his recently-released best-of. Or you can jump right in with his latest, Insomniaccomplishments, consisting of songs written while going through the sleep-deprived days of being a father of a newborn child (been there, done that). Rundman's at his best mixing rock, power pop, Americana and singer-songwriter balladry, and his latest is 18 tracks of just that. Tracks to check out: "If You Have a Question", "Imperfection", "Nothing Downtown" and "Here at 2141". Worth staying awake for.

CD Baby | MySpace

Daniel Christian-I Am Merely Sand. Normally, I don't review older releases, but this 2006 gem just recently came to my attention. Christian reminds me of a cross between James Taylor and Todd Herfindal of The Meadows, and if that sounds intriguing to you, give his disc a listen. Whether it's the Americana of "New Sun Rising" or the hooky pop of "...Unto Herself" or the storytelling of "Estella", Christian is a quality singer-songwriter. Also of note is the 8-minute closing track, "Water From The River", which is kind of a pastiche of all the facets of his sound.

CD Baby | MySpace

Dave Yaden-Bear Me Up. Sometimes the artists do the work for me, at least when it comes to analogizing their sound. Right there on Dave Yaden's CD Baby page it says "Billy Joel meets The Band", and damned if he isn't right. In fact, Joel himself had a few "meets-The-Band" moments on his first couple of pre-superstardom discs and at times that sound is present here. The disc is produced by Todd Beauchamp, who had a pretty good disc of his own last year, and the sound is upbeat and radio-friendly. The upbeat "Can't Let Go" is a high-quality opener, "Alexandra" is where The Band's influence comes in, and "Down the Line" is a midtempo marvel.

CD Baby | MySpace | Listen at Lala

Lala. (Updated)

Many of you may have noticed on my last couple of reviews I've added a "Listen at Lala" link at the end. For those who haven't heard, Lala.com has relaunched itself and in the process might be the most exciting thing in online music since eMusic and iTunes. Create a free account, and you can listen to any disc it has (most of the majors and a considerable amount of independent, CD Baby-type stuff) once in its entirety for free. After that, you can buy a stream of any track for 10 cents, which lets you listen to it online as many times as you want (You get 50 free permanent streams for signing up before you have to start spending a dime). Like the other services, you can still buy the mp3 for less than a dollar if you prefer.

The other cool aspect of it is that you can use it as a digital locker for your online music collection; you can download a small app that scans your music collection and either matches the tracks in their own database or uploads the tracks they don't have to their server so that you can listen to it all from any computer. They use an iTunes-like interface to manage this, and it's pretty neat. They're also on the verge of releasing a iPhone app that will let you stream your collection.

The big catch, though, is that it's available in the U.S. only at the present time. The upshot of it for this site is that any time I review a disc they have, you'll have the opportunity to listen to it one time all the way through for free, which is a big deal especially now that CD Baby has cut the samples on its site for new discs from 2 minutes to 29 seconds due to ASCAP/BMI licensing issues. CD Baby is still the best place to buy if you want the physical disc and/or to see the artist get paid, but Lala is now the best place to sample.

UPDATE: They have a "forecast" feature which allows you to select four songs that you can have anyone listen to, and if you look to the right, you'll see mine. I plan on featuring 4 songs that either strike my fancy at the moment and/or come from discs I recently reviewed.

CD of the Day, 10/23/08: Hey Now, Morris Fader-Ride The Fader

Hey Now, Morris Fader is a 2-man band out of Boston, and with Ride The Fader (the title being an apparent homage to the NY indie band Chavez' famous 90s disc of the same name, as well as their own name), they've managed to come up with one of the top piano-pop discs of the year. Ride The Fader will definitely appeal to fans of Jack's Mannequin, Frank Ciampi, and yes, that guy with the initials "B.F." who tends to get mentioned in every piano pop review.

Opener "Vanishing" sounds as if it come come from The Biography of Reinhold Messner, the initialed one's final band disc, with its pensive piano sound. "Airport Song" is a real delight, with a 70s vibe and some damn fine playing from frontman and pianist Brooks Milgate. Other standouts include the insistent "Down In Front", the upbeat and poptastic "Hypochondriac", which recalls fellow Bostonian Ciampi, and the jaunty "Talk to Myself". The common thread on all these songs is the workout Milgate gives his piano, and his technical ability reminds me quite a bit of Bruce Hornsby as well. If you ears are tickled by the tickling of ivories in support of quality pop tunes, you'll want to Ride The Fader.

CD Baby | MySpace | eMusic | Listen at Lala

CD of the Day, 10/22/08: Cliff Hillis-The Long Now

With so many artists out there and so many records to hear, and so little time in which to listen to it all, an artist who delivers consistently great music is worth his or her weight in gold. And in the power pop community, very few artists fit this bill as Cliff Hillis does. From his work in Starbelly (whose brilliant 2002 release Everyday and Then Some deserves a spot in the Top 20 power pop discs of the decade) and Ike to his high-quality solo work, Hillis is a known quantity, and his brand new solo disc The Long Now is another feather in his cap.

All of what I said above means that I'd buy his records sight unseen (or hearing unheard I guess), making the rest of this review superfluous for those familiar with his work, but for the uninitiated or those who have overlooked him, Hillis' sound is the golden mean of power pop - punchy enough to satisfy fans of Fountains of Wayne or Cheap Trick, but melodic enough to satisfy fans of Squeeze, Michael Carpenter and Paul McCartney. The rollicking, acoustic-based "She Sees" opens the track in "I've Just Seen a Face" territory, and it's followed by the brilliant "Never Understand", an electric guitar-heavy melodic gem that recalls his Starbelly days. By the time "Elevator" rolls around three tracks in, you're left to marvel at how effortless his sound seems as another near-perfect melody wafts through your speakers. And the rest of the album lives up to the standards - "Northern Lights" rocks with grace; "Follow You Anywhere" is more bright pop; "Like an Island" is positively majestic; and "All For The Sake" has a laid-back, country-rock-pop sound that reminds me of Carpenter and Bryan Estepa.

When the year-end list rolls around, there may be only be one digit in front of the period on this one, and make sure you pick it up through Not Lame or Kool Kat, where you get a bonus EP of 6 songs that include tribute tracks (including a cover of McCartney's "This One") and his contest-winning Chili's baby back ribs jingle.

Not Lame | Kool Kat | MySpace | Listen at Lala

Friday Roundup.

All Day Sucker-The Big Pretend. I noted these guys back in January from last year's IPO compilation, and they've now unleashed The Big Pretend, their second-full length disc. They strike me as kind of a cross between Orson, Weezer and Everclear, and have a big, radio-friendly pop sound. The disc is sort of an LA concept album, complete with an amusing 40s/50s-sounding introductory theme. The IPO teaser track, "The Picture (That Took Me)" is here, and it's the highlight, but there are several more interesting tracks including the manic pop of "Life In The Passing Lane", the quite catchy "Santa Ana", and the baroque nostalgia of "Beverly Park". A fun disc that will make you feel like you're in L.A., regardless of where you are.

CD Baby | MySpace

Goh Nakamura-Ulysses. Staying in the Golden State but moving up the coast, San Francisco's Goh Nakamura is quite the pleasant surprise (although this is his third disc) to discover. He's got an excellent folk-rock/pop sound that is quite Beatlesque in spots; in other words, he's like a less depressing Elliot Smith. "Somewhere" wouldn't sound out of place on a Jon Brion album; "Sarah Rose" has all the charm and melody of McCartney at his acoustic best; and the title track conjures up the denser sound that Smith had on his last two albums. Now I'm going to go back and check out his first two discs.

CD Baby | MySpace

Big Bus Dream-The Jesters of Xmas Town. Big Bus Dream is another example of Charlotte's thriving pop scene, which has brought us the likes of Jamie Hoover, James Deem, Transmission Fields, and some other high-quality artist whose name I'm likely forgetting at the moment. This is their second full-length (the debut was produced by Hoover) and they have a sophisticated pop sound that's very similar to The Eels; in fact, frontman Mike Shannon (a former CBGB's fixture) is a vocal ringer for Mr. E himself. If you start at the beginning, you'll notice this resemblance off the bat in "Another Me", and their understated folk-pop also carries some Elvis Costello and Lou Reed influence, nowhere more so than the biting "Money Trumps Everything". Other highlights include the Willie Nile-style "Tremble", the languid "Already Gone" (which has a hint of the Pernice to it), and the fiddle-friendly "Since You Left". This is one Bus you'll want to catch.

CD Baby | MySpace | mp3s at Sonicbids

CD of the Day, 10/15/08: Greg Pope-Popmonster

One of the more underrated power pop bands of the last several years has been Edmund's Crown, whose Regrets of a Company Man was one of my favorite releases of 2006. The Tennessee band has been one of the leaders of "southern power pop", along with artists like The Luxury Liners (whose frontman David Dewese has ironically just released a solo disc of his own), The Rewinds and Bill Lloyd. The man behind the Crown is Greg Pope, and he's out with his solo debut that not only continues the Edmund's Crown sound but expands upon it (and which sports pretty cool album art to boot). Popmonster is a true solo debut as well, with Pope writing, singing and playing all the instruments on each track.

Freed to do his own thing, Pope lets loose a total of 16 tracks here but there really isn't any filler. Opener "Sky Burn Down" lets you know you're not in Kansas (or at least Tennessee) any more as he revs up a Robert Pollard-style rocker in both sound and length (2:08). "I Got a Life" is another infectious barnburner which recalls both Matthew Sweet and The Who in places, while "Lost My Friend" and "Playing Nashville" travel in more familiar Edmund's Crown territory. "The Only Thing I've Got" also clocks in around 2 minutes, and has a definite Alex-Chilton-by-way-of-Paul-Westerberg vibe. Other standouts include the aching Jon Brionesque pop of "Only One You", the jangly "Footpath", the bright Americana-influenced "Little Things", and "Reason With You", another track that would have fit on nicely on Regrets of a Company Man.

A real tour-de-force and with Halloween approaching, this Popmonster will be scaring its way up my year-end list.

CD Baby | MySpace

Singer/Songwriter Monday.

Three quality singer/songwriter offerings to start the work week:

Preston Girard-Along Chicago. Despite the album title Girard is from Kansas City, and he works in the idiom of singer-songwriters like AM, Gus Black and David Gray. From the defiant start-stop of "Pretty" to the jangle of the title track to the balladry of "Under", Girard shows a real command of his craft. But the real standout here is "Little People", near-power pop with a chorus that will stay in your head.

CD Baby | MySpace

Tyler Burkum-Darling, Maybe Someday. This Minneapolis artist comes down more on the alt-country side of singer/songwriterdom, but with a pop sheen that recalls Ryan Adams before he got (too) full of himself and some of Jeff Tweedy's more sublime moments in Wilco. Opener "Blue as the Sky" sets the tone with its achingly beautiful melody and arrangement; the midtempo "Gales of November" veers into Counting Crows territory; "Hurricane" channels Adams circa Heartbreaker, and "Everything You Said" is pure pop. An impressive full-length debut for anyone who values the laid-back and melodic.

CD Baby | MySpace

David Kitchen-Underground. Here's one to watch. This is the debut EP from Virginia's David Kitchen, and it's a pop fest that brings to mind everyone from Nick Lowe to Tal Bachman to Steely Dan. Exhibit "A" is the dizzyingly catchy "Underground", which might be one of the tracks of the year. "Mean Old Mister Gravity" is another toe tapper that features horns and flutes; "You Know That I Will" is a pleasant midtempo number, and closer "Remembering" mixes jangle with some fine guitar solo work in service of another catchy tune. I will now state the obvious and obligatory: Bring on the full length!

CD Baby | MySpace

Thursday Roundup.

Readymade Breakup-Alive on the Vine. New Jersey's Readymade Breakup is back with their followup to last year's Isn't That What It's For? and they're better than ever. This is vintage power pop with a radio-ready sheen that fans of The Jellybricks, The Shazam and The Meadows will enjoy. "One by One" is a scintillating opener, "Surrender" reminds me of The Raspberries, and "Stretch Your Head" incorporates a bit of soul in the mix. These guys know their craft, and will not disappoint.

Not Lame | Kool Kat | MySpace

Private Jets-Jet Sounds. How Swede it is! These Swedish retro power-poppers are back as well, following up their debut EP, and it's a delight. Of course the comparisons to other Swedish poppers like The Merrymakers and The Tangerines are in order, but they also have a more classic, British-sounding 60s vibe (fittingly they played IPO at The Cavern Club this summer). "I Wanna Be a Private Jet" enthusiastically gets things started, while "Speak Up, Speak Out" channels "Ain't That a Shame". Elsewhere, "Starshaped World" is vintage, sunshine-y pop, and "First Division of Love" lays on the sports metaphors to a jaunty love song. Chances are if your hairline's receding like the band members on the cover (like mine), you'll be loving this one.

CD Baby | MySpace

Gigantic-Gigantaphonic Sounds. Well, if Jet Sounds weren't big enough for you, how about Gigantaphonic Sounds? This "big-name" Australian band has finally released this 2006 disc in North America through Zip Records (also home of The Wellingtons, whose new disc arrived in my mailbox yesterday, thanks) and they have a fine guitar pop sound that recalls The Gin Blossoms, Teenage Fanclub, and everyone in between. The jangly "Some Suburban Road" is a real treat, and other standouts include the TF-friendly "Balloon Animals", the rocking "Mr. Sound", and "Lied To", which has hooks that will stick with you.

Not Lame | MySpace

The election is upon us!

No, I'm not talking Obama vs. McCain (not much suspense there any more). I'm talking about the "Shake Some Action" Revisited site, where your vote for the top 5 power pop albums of all time is being solicited for the rest of this month in order to come up with a fans' list to go with the Top 200 list John Borack compiled in his excellent Shake Some Action book.

Of course being the opinionated sort that I am, I have my own top 5 picks, which consist of one unsurprising pick, one not-too-unsurprising pick, two unsurprising artists but surprising discs, and one out of left field. Here I go:

1. Big Star-#1 Record/Radio City. The Rosetta Stone of power pop. I don't have any grand new insights on this legendary disc, but I will state that "September Gurls" might just be the perfect song.

2. Cotton Mather-Kon Tiki. I've waxed poetic on this one before, but I will simply state it comes closest to approximating a Beatles album than anything else out there, and I don't mean it simply in the sense of aping the Beatles sound, which a lot of bands are quite capable of. And if Kon Tiki was the best album the Beatles never released, "My Before and After" was the best song they never released.

3. Matthew Sweet-100% Fun. I've taken some heat for picking Clint Sutton as the #1 disc of 2008 in my spring list, and although I'm not sure it'll stay at the spot at year's end, the reason I love it so much is that reminds me of what I consider Sweet's best album and a stone classic. Although Girlfriend gets all the praise and the list mentions, I always thought 100% Fun was the more focused, tighter, melodic and rocking of the two. The first couple of seconds of "Sick of Myself" might be best way to open an album I've ever heard, and the wonderful "Get Older" is probably the most overlooked great song on this disc. (Side note on Sweet: The title is the notoriously thin-skinned Sweet's response to complaints that the Girlfriend followup, Altered Beast, was too "dark". Later, after the 100% Fun followup Blue Sky on Mars took some critical heat, Sweet responded with the bitter "Write Your Own Song" on 1999's In Reverse. So I sure hope he isn't reading this when I mention that his new disc, Sunshine Lies, didn't do much for me.)

4. Marshall Crenshaw-Field Day. Like the pick above, this isn't the disc people have in mind when they think of the artist, and while his self-titled debut would find a spot in my all-time top 20, this one to me is his true best. Maligned at the time as a result of Steve Lillywhite's reverb-heavy production, the controversy about the sound obscured the fact that this was Crenshaw's strongest set of songs, from the perfect power pop of the album's lone hit, "Whenever You're on My Mind", to gems like "For Her Love" and "Monday Morning Rock". My only knock on the debut was that it was a bit too retro-conscious, and what makes Field Day so great is that it marries Crenshaw's brilliant songcraft (which shows a greater depth and maturity here) to a more up-to-date vibe, even without considering Lillywhite's production.

5. Valley Lodge-Valley Lodge. Wha??? Alert and/or longtime readers might recall that this wasn't even my #1 disc of 2005, so what's it doing at #5 of all-freaking-time? Well, first of all if I had to re-do my 2005 list, this one probably would be at the top, and secondly, I've been listening to it a lot lately. But the more I listen, the more I'm convinced this might be the purest, most fun, power pop album I've ever heard, and here I mean power pop in the narrowest sense: rocking guitars, sugary melodies, etc - not the broad parameters I use in the choice of discs I review on this site. This disc has it all - aside from songs that deliver one hook after another, there's an intelligence and sense of humor that prevails here, unsurprising since frontman Dave Hill (ex-Uptown Sinclair) is an adept a professional comedian as he is a rocker. And what seals the deal for me is Hill's penchant for slipping into falsetto in the middle of verses and choruses, which makes these songs so much damn fun to sing along to. If you've been somehow immune to this disc's charms these past three years, do yourself a favor and check it out.

Black Monday Roundup.

With the Dow down 700+ points today, it's best to take your mind off finances and get into a power pop mindset. Here are three discs to help you do just that:

The Strand-Another Season Passes. Kudos to Kool Kat (that's so much fun to say) as they've released the comeback album from 80s new wave popsters The Strand. Fans of the Paul Collins Beat, Tommy Keene, the Plimsouls and other 80s power poppers will need to be all over this one. From the the straight-ahead power pop of opener "Rising Tide" and "Why'd You Call?" to the mod pop of "Scared Streets" to the fine balladry of "Begin Again", The Strand is back and better than ever. (Note: If you order from Kool Kat, they have a 5-track bonus disc with covers, etc.)

Kool Kat | CD Baby | MySpace

Gentleman Jesse-Introducing Gentleman Jesse. It's not every day I discover new power pop through Pitchfork, but I give them full marks for their positive review of Atlanta's Gentleman Jesse and their debut, which might be the best album that Stiff Records never released. The cover is a dead giveaway, of course, aping Elvis C's This Year's Model, but the tracks live up to it. Reminiscent also of The Exploding Hearts and The Whigs, there's plenty to like here including the pop-punk of "Black Hole", the Merseybeat of "All I Need Tonight Is You" and the Nick Lowe stylings of "You Don't Have to If You Don't Want to" and "Wrong Time". An extremely pleasant surprise.

Amazon | MySpace | eMusic

Higgins-Zs. I featured this NYC band a while back when they had a teaser mp3 out from this disc, and now that the full-length is out, they're worth revisiting. In many respects they fit the classic power pop paradigm, but with little quirky twists here and there. Opener "There He Is" illustrates this dynamic, with its George Harrisonesque flavor and its ability to never quite go where you expect it. The playful "Always Something" channels Jellyfish in spots while "Wall of Dumb" is right up Sir Paul's alley and "Write It Down" recalls some of Alan Parsons Project's slower numbers.

Serious Business | MySpace | eMusic

CD of the Day, 10/1/08: Todd Herfindal-Collective

It's always a treat to get great music from an unexpected source, and after The Meadows put out their fine First Nervous Breakdown earlier this year, I figured that we'd hear from them again in a couple of years. But the wait only took about 8 months, as Meadows co-frontman Todd Herfindal has released his solo debut, and it's of a piece with the two Meadows disc, especially First Nervous Breakdown.

Collective is a bit of logical progression from the first two Meadows discs, as Breakdown was a bit more roots rock-oriented than the debut, and here Herfindal goes full bore into the Gin Blossoms-meet-Tom Petty vibe. This becomes apparent right off the bat with the ebullient "Air I'm Breathing" which shows off his melodic gifts in a heartland rocker that even features some tasteful horn backing. "Finally Movin' On" demonstrates the knack Herfindal had for the big chorus that he showed in The Meadows, and the laid-back "Waiting on the Sun" continues the Midwest-meets-California vibe. Elsewhere, standouts include the mildly Beatlesque "Forget It All Again", the rocking "Jaded" and the ballads "Won't Look Back" and "This Is a Love Song". Collective closes in grand fashion with "If I Hesitate", an anthemic number that starts off slow and builds to a big payoff. If you enjoyed either of The Meadows' two releases, this one's a no-brainer.

CD Baby | MySpace | eMusic