Late July roundup.

Todd Herfindal-Two Track Mind. It's been a long wait but ex-Meadows frontman Todd Herfindal is back with a new album, his first since 2013's Right Here Now. As always Herfindal is ably assisted by longtime collaborator Rich McCulley, who plays on and co-wrote several of the tracks here, and Two Track Mind is another collection of his roots-infused power pop. Opener "Bright White Light" has a "Wanted Dead or Alive" vibe to it, and "Muddy Water" is a stomping rocker while "Lucky One" has the signature Tom Petty-influenced sound of The Meadows. Other standouts include the midtempo "Bound for the Sun" and the straight-up power pop of "Sweet and Low (Get That)". A welcome return.

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Scott Gagner-Hummingbird Heart. Hummingbird Heart is the latest from Scott Gagner and a fine followup to 2017's Pins & Needles. Gagner remains one of today's more thoughtful singer-songwriters and this latest collection is another example. His songs range from folk/rock to power pop and once again the legendary (and indefatigable, judging by how many records he shows up on) Ken Stringfellow of The Posies collaborates. Leadoff track and lead single "Bella" definitely leans to the power pop side of the equation and it wouldn't be out of place on a Posies album while "Baby Gets What Baby Wants" is another catchy number complete with handclaps. "Other People" is a real highlight, a wonderful folk/rock song which gradually builds to a peak, complete with piano and a late guitar solo, the title track is a languid beauty with sweet backing vocals from Omega Rae, and the roots rock of "You Can't Break a Broken Heart" belongs on a late-70s playlist somewhere. And that's just the first half of this 13-track album, which should place highly on my year-end list.

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Farrington-Pictures of Pretty Things. LA's Farrington is one of the more exciting new artists to come across my radar this year and their debut album is a love letter to glam 70s rock/pop (and mastered by Andy Reed). After a couple of throat-clearing rockers to start the album the fun begins with tracks influenced by Elton John ("Stones"), Queen ("When I Was You", "The Love Show"), Jeff Lynne/ELO ("Hey Mr. Rock'N'Roll"), Jellyfish ("Stupid Plastic War", "Maybe if You Leave Her", "Blue"), and even some Ken Sharp ("Long Way to Nowhere", "Violins"). If you're looking for a new favorite band, you can do a lot worse than Farrington.

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Early July roundup.

Xavier Calvet-Crosswinds. Spaniard Xavier Cavlet's debut album Firebird caught my year a couple of years ago, but nothing in it prepared me for this outstanding followup as he's traded in Firebird's rootsier sound for a janglier 80s pop sound. There's not much jangle though in the opener "The Runner" which lives up to the driving nature of its title and builds to a pulsating crescendo, but "Lovers for All Time" and especially "Hard to Believe It" split the difference between The Smiths and Tom Petty. Although the momentum flags a bit mid-album, "Get a Job" and "Windy Winter" restore the power pop, the Jayhawks-esque "Meet Me in the Crowd" returns to Calvet's roots, and the ballad "Old Days" closes things with a touch of Brian Wilson.

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Static in Verona-The Loud Nothing. Speaking of stylistic shifts, the last few albums from Rob Merz's Static in Verona have drifted from his power pop roots to more of an esoteric dream-pop sound. With The Loud Nothing, Merz opts for a more direct approach in his sound while still retaining the signature Static in Verona sound. The title track informs of this shift right away with its wall-of-sound production in service of a wonderfully melodic number, while the urgent "Ruin the Riot" lets you know that the more direct sound is no fluke and the hook-filled "Fade to Gray" leaves you catching your breath. Merz' eclecticism hasn't gone, though - "Daggers" (with ethereal vocals from Seraphina) finds him mixing the electronic and experimental with his pop, as does the cacophonous "Stuck With Silver". With the pendulum having swung back a bit, this might be the quintessential Static in Verona album.

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Paul Bertolino-Poseur. Paul Bertolino is another artist who had a fine 2017 album (Toy Box) that I didn't write about at the time who's back with a new release that's compelled me to mention. Bertolino can bring the power pop, but his true muse is 70s AM radio and the sax-infused, R&B-influenced "On the Downslide" opens Poseur in suitably funky (and catchy) fashion, and "Parade" wouldn't be out of place on a Jackson 5 or an Osmonds album. Meanwhile, the power ballad "Ghosted" finds Bertolino in full falsetto a la Phillip Bailey, and the flute and sax on "All the Way to Chicago" really does transport you back to 1975. There's straight-ahead power pop to be found here too with "Pressing On", "Tap Out" and "Doll". But if you grew up on radio that one minute played Stevie Wonder or Billy Preston one minute and Paul McCartney or Todd Rundgren the next, Poseur will get you in that spirit again.

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