THE PAUL & JOHN – The Inner Sunset

tP&JA band comprising two pop loving friends John Moreman and Paul Myers, the knowingly named The Paul and John bring some power pop gold on ‘Inner Sunset’, a collection of tunes written over a three year period.  Fans of the rockier end of the genre will hear traces of many old favourites on this disc – Roger McGuinn, Alex Chilton, touches of Nick Lowe and even Soul Asylum…and, yes, a nod to them Beatles – but as with most acts ploughing a similar musical path, the homages are loving.  Taking those influences and melding them with some great hooks, The Paul & John are almost guaranteed to please.

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KNUCKLE – This Week’s Been Hell EP

knuckle epWhen done right, the two man garage-rock/garage blues set up can be absolutely thrilling.  It represents the minimum band configuration to make a noise most effectively.  Less distorted than the US’s ¡Vamanos! but more ferocious than the UK’s most excellent Brockley Forest, Huddersfield’s own Knuckle blend garage rock and blues with a touch of stoner groove – as per 2014 breakthrough act Royal Blood, but with an element of DIY sincerity those guys lost by jumping straight in with a major label release.  The results on Knuckle’s debut EP, although fairly typical of the genre, are enthralling with a broad range of sounds and styles throughout the six tracks.

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CLOUD ATLAS – Beyond The Vale

Cloud AtlasCloud Atlas is a melodic rock/prog rock band based in York, formed from the fragments of various other prog rock/folk-prog bands.  Vocalist Heidi Widdop will be known to some listeners as being the first vocalist with Mostly Autumn, as well as being a integral part of subsequent off-shoot Breathing Space and the short-lived Stolen Earth, the latter a band that also featured future Cloud Atlas guitarist/bassist Martin Ledger. Joining them is drummer Ian Halford and – new to the sometimes confusing and rather incestuous MA family tree – keysman Dave Randall.  A guest bass is supplied by Stu Carver (also ex-Mostly Autumn).

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THE JEANIES – The Jeanies

jeaniesTrading in 60s garage rock for the sounds of late 60s guitar-pop, The Jeanies are a band from Brooklyn featuring vocalist/guitarist Joey Farber, sometime member of Greasy Hearts.  The ten numbers making up their debut full length represent a celebration of power pop’s golden age – songs brimming with innocence, chiming guitars and feelgood intents.

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