Formed in Lahti, Finland in 2006, Heartjet is a power pop duo comprising of Tuomas Strandman (vocals, guitars, drums) and Mikko Levonen (guitars, bass, keyboards). Combining the best elements of the work of 90’s singer-songwriter pop/rock with a heavy influence from The Posies, their debut EP ‘Goodbye, Stan’ features five numbers which seem familiar almost instantly.

With their slightly dark vibes, ‘Do You Doubt It’ and ‘Are You Coming’ could fit snugly alongside some of The Posies’ ‘Frosting On The Beater’ era material. The slightly distorted guitars on ‘Do You Doubt It’ are in great contrast with the upbeat vocals. Smooth harmony vocals add further contrast against the hard jangle of the electric guitars. During the verses, the vocals are left to almost stand alone against a solid bass (in very retro 90s style). After a quiet intro comprising electric piano, plucked guitar and gentle vocals, ‘Were You Coming’ utilises a loud chorus where power pop vocals are pitched against slightly edgy, chiming guitars. The Posies influence here is as subtle as a brick, but for those who still enjoy Auer and Stringfellow’s best works, this should raise a knowing smile. Musically, it’s Levonen’s solid bass at the heart of the number which provides most of the musical interest.

The title cut relies heavily on a semi-acoustic jangle which is instantly uplifting. With its punchy pop-rock sound, clean vocals and twangy electric lead, it borrows from The Posies’ work,once again, but features a much stronger influence. This time, it’s a strong influence from the 90s Boston scene driving the song. Not too far removed from ‘Big Red Letter Day Era’ Buffalo Tom or the more commercial works of The Lemonheads, ‘Goodbye, Stan’ is full of sunny harmonies, which sound great when set against the semi-acoustic jangle. Being a big fan of the works of Evan Dando, Bill Janovitz and John Strohm, it’s often been this track which has kept me coming back to this release.

‘First Day’ begins with chiming guitars which fall away on occasion to allow harmony vocals more space. Without those harmonies, the track’s verses might’ve felt a little laboured, but Heartjet’s gift for arranging things in a very Posies-like manner means they pull it off with ease. Strandling’s lead vocals are easy and provide decent melodies against the otherwise slightly heavy-handed guitar work. Acoustic guitars come to the fore for ‘Memories’, showcasing singer-songwriter pop influences. With tight vocal harmonies and strong melodies, its core is very strong, but maybe a little too simple as Heartjet do little afterward to build on its initial promise: as a song, maybe it’s just a little too simple. A couple of gentle guitar leads from Levonen fill a couple of empty spaces, but look past those harmonies, a quiet keyboard drone adds a small amount of depth, but it’s not quite enough. This track isn’t a skipper by any means, since its good elements are very enjoyable, there’s just a feeling it required a bit more embellishment.

While most ‘Goodbye, Stan’ shows heavy influences from The Posies (one which is too obvious in places to be avoided), Heartjet prove to be solid song writers. With just enough of their own style to make this release worth investigating, this EP should give you just enough of a taste of their brand of power pop.

[Visiting the below link and downloading the title track is strongly recommended]

January 2011

Not long after the release of The Major Labels album (recorded with Mike Viola and Ducky Carlisle), power pop singer/songwriter quickly returned to the studio. Funded by fans, his fourth album  is a roller coaster ride full of great influences from the sixties and seventies. ‘Singin’ In Tongues’ is a rousing rock/pop number to get things underway, with Bleu’s quasi-aggressive vocal sounding a little like Gregg Alexander in places (albeit in delivery rather than tone). Among the general busyness, some of power pop’s key hallmarks are present: namely the big chorus driven by na-na’s, tinkling bells and an occasional nod to Phil Spector in the drum department. If it doesn’t grab you at first, subsequent listens pay off. The bells make a second appearance on ‘B.O.S.T.O.N.’ which is a great nugget of pop. Its chorus is a little repetitive by the end, but the overall vibe makes it a winner. Once again, musically Bleu favours an almost wall of sound approach; he played almost all of the instruments on this number himself…and it sounds superb. It’s almost impossible not to have this lodged firmly in their head after hearing it a couple of times.

‘How Blue’, on the other hand, is really horrid. While the music conjures up Beatle-esque dreaminess and the strings are arranged brilliantly, the track is spoilt by Bleu’s insistence on wailing in falsetto. While this isn’t the only instance of falsetto on ‘Four’, there’s something particularly jarring about it here. Without such a vocal, this could have worked, but even then it’s not the album’s most inspiring cut. During the largely acoustic ‘Everything Is Fine’ (co-written by Jellyfish head honcho Roger Manning Jr), Bleu favours some (unnecessary) falsetto in places once again, but this time, just about carries it off. Against the acoustic work, there are string quartets, a few good vocal harmonies and even the appearance of Manning’s beloved harpsichord. While the falsetto moments may not be my bag, this number has plenty of charm, due to a definite Jellyfish influence rearing its head toward the end of the chorus.

‘When The Shit Hits The Fan’ is moody, rather powerful number. With a heavy orchestration (brilliantly arranged, it must be said), it’s a number which demonstrates the breadth of Bleu’s musical influences. The strings occasionally hint at the heartbreaking soul ballads of the sixties – and it’s their presence of those strings which makes this track so great. The strings and vocal are augmented by Ducky Carlisle on kettle drums (again very effective), while Paul Ahlstrand’s saxophones are on hand for extra colour, but are so low-key they don’t always appear necessary.

‘Evil Twin’ is a wordy, twisted drone which has an Eastern vibe. A voyage into the dark side of Bleu’s psyche, this is a number which listeners will either love or hate. The drums are heavy in places, but never dominate, while Led Zeppelin-esque acoustic guitars which provide some of the best moments. Throw in some vocals which are are impassioned, but not always friendly (their slightly threatening manner reinforced by a few unexpected backing vocals ‘ooh’s) and you have something about as far removed from retro pop as you’re likely to find on an album of this kind. The vibe stays fairly moody throught ‘Ya Catch More Flies With Vinegar’ – a long, drawn out affair constructed around a drum part played by Seth Kaspar. Its wandering nature allows Bleu to stretch out his vocal – and here, he sounds supremely confident. While, again, the arrangement has some good moments, there’s no immediate hook to pull in the listener. With its veering towards something more experimental in places, it’s obvious there’s far more to this man than some of his power pop and singer-songwriter contemporaries.

‘Dead In The Mornin’’ is a punchy, horn-filled piece of brilliance, and is one of the album’s most shamelessly upbeat numbers. Sounding like ‘Wake Up Boo’ by The Boo Radleys augmented by a gospel choir, it’s a little over the top for sure, but its enthusiasm makes it impossible to ignore. While this doesn’t have the depth of some of the album’s other material, the horn section and female vocals add plenty of energy. The jaunty music is juxtaposed with lyrics regarding Bleu’s will: ‘To mom I leave my polaroids / To dad I leave my baby boy / To my friends I leave my power chords…’ A brilliant arrangement and Bleu’s slightly skewed sense of humour make this one of ‘Four’s key tracks. For those looking for something more introspective, ‘In Love With My Lover’ presents Bleu in a more fragile mood, accompanied mostly by his acoustic guitar. He’s in good voice here, clearly capable of decent delivery on the soft stuff as well as the complex. There’s a moment midway where loud drums and horns punctuate the gentle air (again, with a soul influence); although brief, it somehow fits the piece, providing a bit of contrast.

Fans invested $40,000 and a lot of faith in Bleu to deliver a new record that was worthy of their contributions. Listeners who are willing to invest listening time are likely to discover an album that’s varied, and home to a few absolutely cracking tracks. It’s not always fun, but during those downbeat moments where the hooks aren’t always obvious, the arrangements are often fantastic. Bleu has spent his fans’ donations wisely.

Watch lots of Bleu video stuff here!

December 2010

In 1996, Daniel Tashian (son of country-folk duo Barry and Holly Tashian) recorded a rootsy rock influenced album named ‘Sweetie’ with legendary producer T-Bone Burnett. Despite being created with Burnett and featuring a cast of top notch session musicians (including Larry Knetchtel, Jay Joyce and the legendary Booker T Jones), the album was not a commercial success.

In 1999, following a change of musical direction, Tashian teamed up with producer Jason Lehning to form the core of The Bees, a band with a retro pop fixation. Their debut release, 2004’s ‘Starry Gazey Pie’ features some good, hooky songs and a few wandering ones. Their sophomore album ‘High Society’ has a bigger focus on 60s and 70s style hooks and is instantly enjoyable. ‘High Society’ secured The Bees a record deal with Cheap Lullaby Records who reissued the album the following year. The reissue of ‘High Society’ was credited to The Silver Seas, a moniker chosen after a British band named The Bees had gained popularity and held the rights to that name. [‘Starry Gazey Pie’ was reissued as a Silver Seas album too, though only in MP3 format].

With some of the more lightweight sixties influences taking a back seat and even more seventies power pop and pomp influences coming to the fore, this third Silver Seas release ‘Château Revenge!’ takes those influences and bends them into something near retro pop perfection.

‘Another Bad Night’s Sleep’ is an incredibly busy number driven by wall of ringing guitars. Daniel Tashian’s vocal is confident and sounds superb against the many guitar parts and tight rhythm section. It’s a strong opener and one which captures many of the best aspects of The Silver Seas’ sound. ’Jane’ is slightly simpler, very much in a jangle pop vein. With more space for the song to breathe, against a gentle backbeat, there are great fills on the electric piano. Once again, it’s Tashian’s vocal backed by crystal clear guitar work which is most likely to pull in the listener. When that voice meets well arranged harmony vocals, it’s really hard not to be captivated by The Silver Seas’ brand of power pop. During ’The Best Things In Life’, Daniel Gherke (drums) and Lex Price (bass) prove themselves as a rhythm section, with a punchy approach which barely lets up throughout the song. Again, a full band sound is padded out with string sounds. Here, there are 10cc influences bought to the table and a slightly funky vibe.

Featuring a gentle vocal delivery, solid bass and multi layered sound, ‘What’s The Drawback?’ uncover an absolute love of Jeff Lynne. While they’ve not stooped to the squishy drum sound and vocals that sound like Sparky’s Magic Piano, there are definite influences from ‘Evil Woman’, ‘Sweet Talking Woman’ and other 70s classics. Bringing the point home with a nod and a wink, ELO even earn a namecheck in the song before a quick burst of strings recalls an old ELO tune. A beautifully played guitar solo shows a great amount of restraint and sounds like a cross between ‘That Lady’ by The Isley Brothers and classic Steely Dan, all in all making this one of the best songs on the album. Equally fantastic, ‘Somebody Said Your Name’, offers plenty of similarly busy 70s pop, as a slightly distorted bass and electric piano lead a confident feel-good number. Tashian is in great vocal form here, but it’s the music which makes it so captivating. There’s a musical tightness and perfection here worthy of Todd Rundgren’s 1973 masterpiece ‘Something/Anything’.

‘Home & Dry’ changes the mood, bringing things down from a level of 70s brilliance to more sedate singer-songwriter territory. At first Tashians voice and acoustic guitar dominate the arrangement. As the track progresses there’s backing from mandolin (obviously an influence from Tashian’s parents), and then with the band joins – the fuzz bass and drums adding a punch, string sounds adding colour. Also more subtle, ‘From My Windowsill’ provides the album’s melancholy AM radio moment, strings, organs, a twangy guitar solo and soft harmony vocals are all delivered with The Silver Seas’ magnificence – creating something big, but without bombast.

‘Candy’ is full of Todd Rundgren-esque grandiosity. The musical arrangement has everything thrown at it – including the ubiquitous strings and huge backing vocals, hovering somewhere between The Beach Boys and ELO. Buried within the kitchen sink approach, there are the sounds of sparingly used glockenspiels. Granted, it doesn’t feature the retro-pop sleigh bells which have a habit of creeping in with things like this, but frankly, there just isn’t room! ‘What If It Isn’t Out There’ showcases soul influences in its vocal stylings. While the huge harmony vocals provide a big hook, it’s Lex Price’s unshakable bass playing which grabs the attention. By turns both solid and warm, the bass sound here is fantastic. The slightly fuzzy, noisy guitar solo feels a little out of character for The Silver Seas, but this has been balanced out by the addition of string backing and the fact it doesn’t outstay its welcome.

‘Help Is On The Way’ makes decent use of a twangy guitar, an uneasy string break and a busy keyaboard loop. While parts of the arrangement are great (some nice backing vocals), this is one of the weaker numbers, due to the band not really cashing in on a potential hook. It’s weaker than most of the album for sure, but measured against most band’s standards it’s still better than filler material.

‘Those Streets’ has moments where the ringing guitars and electric pianos from other Silver Seas numbers are present, but its punchiness is more in keeping with 90s style indie-rock than 70s pop/rock. Daniel Gherke’s drumming takes the reigns for an upbeat number with a decent chorus. Tashian adopts his preferred ringing guitar tone again, and throughout this number it becomes rather insistent – almost relentless – despite only being present on the right channel, in an old fashioned stereo display. [In fact, this album would have sounded superb presented in a 5.1 mix, since it’s as multi-layered as any of the better known Flaming Lips recordings which were issued in that format].

The album closes on a rather more subtle note with ‘Kid’, an optimistic ballad, with Tashian leading things with his acoustic guitar. By the songs end, it’s transformed into a piece of sweeping beauty, with lavish strings. In a slightly tongue in cheek moment at the albums close, Tashian introduces the band members like a Vegas showman. As the album ends, as a listener, it feels like the end of a great journey into a world of cool retro pop.

It may sound like a big claim, but ‘Château Revenge!’ is one of the finest power pop albums ever. Each of its twelve songs offers the listener something great – and it really sounds like an album in the old-fashioned sense, as opposed to a collection of songs. Since the Jellyfish albums became the yardstick by which all power pop releases were measured in the 1990s and forever beyond, in a perfect world, ‘Château Revenge!’ would be the album to which all others aspire to in the 21st Century. An indispensible disc.

November 2010

The name Janovitz is almost synonymous with the Boston music scene. Paul Janovitz achieved cult success in the 1990s with his college rock band Cold Water Flat, while his older brother Bill became rather more famous as frontman and chief song writer for alternative rock heroes Buffalo Tom. Their brother Scott has been in various bands too – most notably Dragstrip Courage – in addition to producing records for other bands and being a sideman to Graham Parker.

Scott Janovitz also has a power pop collective, The Russians, which features a revolving cast of collaborators. After a couple of well-received EPs, in 2010’s full-length ‘Crashing The Party’, The Russians deliver a subtle disc that’s full of retro pop/rock melodies, though not always in the usual feel-good power pop mould.

The album opens with a slow number with Janovitz proudly stating ‘The Record’s Over’, where accompanying the downhearted vocal, there are great moments of electric piano, swirling organ and fuzzy guitars. This track name-checks the Beach Boys and references their song ‘Do It Again’, but despite this, is certainly not full of the usual attention grabbing jollity which would often open an album full of 70s pop influences, but the swirling, almost psychedelic vibe could still pull you in. There’s also mention of ‘student demonstration time’, though I’m not sure it’s in reference to the much maligned Beach Boys number of the same name… ‘Not So Loud’ has a bigger hook, though it’s still a world apart from the instant gratification provided by bands like Jellyfish or Farrah, since here, The Russians trade in the usual power pop obsessions with Wings and 10cc, favouring bouncy electronica influences instead. Imagine Brendan Benson meeting with The Cars and then performed by Tubeway Army with a mid-70s glam stomp and you’re about halfway there.

Featuring harmony vocals and chiming guitars reminiscent of Big Star, ‘You Know’ provides one of the stand-out numbers. While those harmony vocals are rather understated, the guitars lend a timeless quality. Granted, the hook may not be as instant as those delivered by The Russians’ most obvious contemporaries, but the approach here is typical of the album’s best moments. It’s a slow-burner of a track which requires multiple listens before the magic becomes obvious. With another stomping approach, heavily treated vocals and a nod to T Rex, ‘Make It Easy’ offers an uptempo rocker. Beneath the slight distortion there are layers of keyboards, a big ‘woo-hoo’ styled vocal, rock ‘n’ roll piano fills and a shameless guitar solo. The distorted elements make the vocal rather hard to decipher, but even so, this track breaks up the more reflective moments of the album rather well, even though it’s one of the more disposable numbers. With a strong focus on acoustic guitars played in 90s alt-rock style, ‘Measure Out Our Space’ shows a more organic side to The Russians. The harmonies used so well on ‘You Know’ make their return – and in doing so, they help this number remain fairly buoyant.

‘Talking To Yourself’ features a bassline which is high in the mix during the verses, but it’s the chorus and instrumental parts which grab the attention, having a very Posies-esque vibe. Since it’s such a great sound, it’s a pity the hook wasn’t a bigger one. The title track has similarly understated moments, as a warm bass line weaves its way through a very 60s arrangement. The laid back vocals here are perfectly suited to the equally laid back groove. The ubiquitous power pop sleigh bells put in an appearance here, but not in a quirky fashion. This is melancholy power pop at its finest – a perfect companion to Oranjuly’s ‘The Coldest Summer’ or Chris Bell’s ‘I Am The Cosmos’.

‘Crashing The Party’ may not be as instant as some power pop releases since, in places, it has a tendency to be downbeat. However, If you’re into the more thoughtful and melancholic approach to power pop, this album should represent a very rewarding listening experience.

November 2010