With several releases behind them, by the summer of 2016 Hello Bear had not only attracted a cult following, but also received positive press from the BBC. Throughout their career, the band’s pop/rock stylings have often been sent off with ridiculous, pointless song titles – the kind that could rival Fall Out Boy and make it almost impossible to remember which tracks are which. From the outside looking in, it would be so easy to accuse Hello Bear of just trying that bit too hard. However, the reality is somewhat different. Ignoring the fluff and the sub-teenage surrealism, their 2016 EP ‘I Don’t Know…It’s Fun Though, Isn’t It?’ presents some of the best guitar pop/power pop to emerge from the UK since Farrah issued their fourth (self-titled) album in 2010.
Tag Archives: power pop
SCANDINAVIA – World Power
London-based indie rock conglomerate Scandinavia are an odd bunch. When they liken themselves to both The Replacements and Hall & Oates and then confront you with music that sounds like neither, well, it’s an interesting proposition to say the leasy. Maybe their own self-chosen comparisons aren’t meant to be direct references, but rather more to assure you that their musical boundaries are wide open – which they very much are: their fourth studio album, ‘World Power’ is nothing if not eclectic.
THE DEMOS – Paramount Clouds EP
When New York duo The Demos released ‘Lovely‘ back in the mists of 2011, it was obvious that they recognised a hook and knew their way around a reasonable alt-rock/power pop arrangement. Sadly, the lo-fi nature of that recording, essentially demos passed off as a finished product, didn’t really show them at their best. There were at least a handful of tracks scattered among the dozen that wanted – even needed – a much better send off than they were afforded.
KURT SHANKS – Blood Line Heart
In the autumn of 2011, Kurt Shanks released his solo debut EP ‘Seven Flights Up‘, a short mixed bag of styles that gave a fair overview of his broad talent. Ranging from thoughtful acoustic twiddles to solid singer-songwriter fare to the title cut’s rhythmically heavy workout, it promised good things for the full-length which was due to follow at some point in the coming year. It felt like a long wait – almost exactly a year, in fact – but it was ultimately worth it, since the eleven tunes on ‘Blood Line Heart’ provide a much better look into the workings of a gifted songwriter…and in lead single ‘Shake Shake Shake’, the world gets an immediate power pop classic.
PANSY DIVISION – Quite Contrary
During the peak of American pop-punk in the 90s, around the time that Green Day made the jump to a major label and set upon a road to megastardom, their one-time label mates Pansy Division released their first full-length. ‘Undressed’ brought pop-punk greatness and the band used their art to spread love and understanding of gay culture, often with with a huge sense of humour. Over the next fifteen years, this out and proud stance, combined with more musical talent than some of their peers (trying hard not to point too much at Pounded Clown here) gained Pansy Division a loyal following. 2016’s ‘Quite Contrary’ – their ninth album, released via the legendary Alternative Tentacles label – breaks a seven year recording silence with some of their best original material to date and a fantastic cover tune.