Following a string of fairly jagged albums that pulled together punk, emo and mod influences, Dot Dash’s sound had a drastic overhaul on their 2018 LP ‘Proto Retro’. The rougher edges were smoothed out and in their place came some hugely melodic power pop. The bulk of the record’s tunes came with a 60s jangle as heard through a 90s filter, sometimes as if stumbling upon deep cuts from Teenage Fanclub; sometimes showing a massive love for Buffalo Tom. The musical changes were all for the better, since no matter where you dropped into the record, it was possible to hear something with huge hooks and a really positive feel.
Tag Archives: power pop
DANY LAJ & THE LOOKS – You Should Know / I’m So Glad
Dany Laj & The Looks’ fourth album ‘Ten Easy Pieces’ was a masterpiece of pop-rock goodness. One listen to the They Might Be Giants inspired single ‘Don’t Keep Me Guessin’’ was enough to reel in a prospective audience with the catchiest hook of 2021, but the record’s musical gold ran far deeper. Between the energised harmonies of ‘Smoke In The Sun’, the almost Beatle-esque ‘In Other Words’, and the new wave throw back ‘Pick It Up’, the album darted effortlessly between some fairly disparate styles, but Laj’s strong gifts for a melody always acted as the glue holding everything together. Even with ‘Don’t Keep Me Guessin’’ towering above a couple of the album’s lesser cuts, it managed to be one of the year’s best long players.
ENUFF Z’NUFF – Finer Than Sin
Enuff Z’Nuff were once one of melodic rock’s greatest bands. Their first three albums are almost perfect distillations of AOR, power pop and glam, all wrapped in an oversized tye dye bubble. The band celebrated a brightly coloured world at a time when such things were in danger of being unfashionable, and their Cheap Trick meets Elvis Costello meets Poison sound made them square pegs in round holes, but in terms of crafting a melodic hook, the Chip Z’Nuff and Donnie Vie songwriting team were second to none.
A little over twenty years on from their classic ‘Strength’ album, Enuff Z’Nuff are a band largely trading off a well known name. As proved by their ‘Brainwashed Generation’ album from 2020, that doesn’t mean that Chip and his faceless hired hands aren’t capable of knocking out a decent tune or four, but that’s just it. Enuff Z’Nuff albums have long felt like a “knocked out” product rather than a work of art. A few good songs are propped up by second rate material and covers – occasionally even leftovers – in the name of a new record. They’ve lost the craftsmanship and consistency of old. Not to mention most of the production values.
EDWARD O’CONNELL – Feel Some Love
Edward O’Connell’s third album ‘Feel Some Love’ comes eight years after the excellent ‘Vanishing Act’, but for fans, no matter how much time has passed, it’s the kind of record that’ll hit the spot pretty much instantly. Within a few seconds of the opening track ‘Golden Light’ emerging from the speakers, it almost feels as if O’Connell has never been away. That number’s heavy use of chiming guitars, leading a melody that occasionally sounds as if it could slip into an old Tom Petty tune at the drop of a hat, is typical of the singer-songwriter in that has a sort of timeless quality, especially in the way he’s able to apply a rootsy and friendly vocal to a very bright guitar sound. Some understated harmonies, a hard struck piano, a swirling organ and a Jim Keltner-esque drum part are all on hand to layer a great tune, but everything escalates via a lead guitar break that tips the hat to Roger McGuinn styled melodies. As the final notes fade, there’s a feeling that – at just two minutes and forty two seconds into this album – you’re in more than safe hands.
Watch the new video from Bring The Hoax
Swedish power pop/rock band Bring The Hoax are set to release their debut EP at the end of October 2022. As part of the promotion for the anticipated release, they’ve just issued ‘Jonestown’ as a single along with a very natural video clip, which you can see below.