Ken Sharp has been something of a power pop renaissance man, having started out as a music writer (having authored or co-authored 10 books), and then actually releasing his own albums (1301 Highland Avenue and Happy Accidents) to great acclaim on Not Lame's label. It's been seven years since Happy Accidents, and now Ken is back with Sonic Crayons. The wait has been worth it, as he's given us a strong contender for Top 10 of 2007 honors.While his previous two discs were outstanding in a lighter, sugary manner, Sonic Crayons has a meatier, crunchier sound and features help from Enuff Z'Nuff's Chip Z’Nuff and Donnie Vie. On discs this good, it almost seems unfair to pick out individual songs lest others be slighted. Nevertheless, those more equal than others include "Better Every Day", "Melody Hill" (a contender for Top 20 tracks of 2007 honors), the rocking "New Attitude", the languid and Beatlesque "So Simple Radio", the catchy as-all-get-out "Get Yourself Together" and the beautiful ballad "Why Girls Cry".
It's available through the usual suspects, but your best bet is ordering it directly from Ken at his myspace page where you can also listen to four of the tracks including three highlighted above. Joe Jackson might have admonished us once to "look sharp"; now I'm advising you to get Sharp.
great songs on this one, but who's the whiny girl that does all the singing? makes a great album into a horrid one.
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