Scroll down for reviews of Starsailor, Peter Lacey, and Pop Under the Surface. Click here for reviews of the latest from Bad Religion, Dipsomaniacs, Every Single Saturday, Cosmic Avenger and P76.

Parallax Project
Oblivious

(Tall Boy)

tallboyrecords.com

Release date: January 22, 2002

Parallax View was a Warren Beatty political thriller, chock full of intrigue and paranoia. The film is dated, but has all the earmarks of what was good about filmmaking in the '70s, with a strong, deliberate sense of pacing and creative cinematography. Parallax Project hearkens back to the virtues of '70s power pop - real Old School stuff. However, it should not be confused with the somewhat similarly titled film, as the Project's debut, while aiming for the high standards of The Raspberries, Dwight Twilley and Shoes, is in no way dated (fresh as a daisy, in fact) and is full of joy and comfort, as opposed to the less rosy world view of the movie.

Having clarified that confusion, let me advise you that this band is Michael Giblin's first work since the dissolution of the superb Cherry Twister. Whereas partner Steve Ward's 2000 solo debut showed what contributions he made to the band - mainly a terrific voice and the unique melodic sensibility - Giblin shows that he was the foundation guy - while the Project doesn't sound like Cherry Twister Jr., Parallax Project shares a nearly perfect balance of slap and tickle, of crunch and sweetness.
The readymade, repeat button reuse required "To the Moon" demonstrates the Giblin Guarantee - a winsome teenage melody matched with just the right amount of rock oomph (steadfast rhythm section - great bass playing - and a catch-your-attention opening guitar salvo). This is the type of song that fills the void left by The Greenberry Woods. Close on its heels in high quality, "Definitely Maybe" has a deadly double hook, the chorus featuring the title phrase which feeds into a bopping "na na na na" bridge. Effervescent rock, indeed.

In classic powerpop tradition, Giblin and his mates do not shy away from the sweet ballad - verging on gooey, but never quite falling into that bathetic abyss, these songs pluck your heartstrings like a prom night disappointment. Giblin knows how to grab your attention - his tenor voice (which has a similar timbre to REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin, minus Cronin's overenunciation and REO's crap songs) tinged with sorrow as he starts off "(If it's) all the Same to You": "staring at the phone/talking to the dial tone/thinking 'bout the things I didn't say/when I had you hanging here". It sets the mood for a plaintive acoustic lament, with sad string accompaniment. "When I Die" has a haunting acoustic guitar coda opening, Giblin singing closer to a whisper: "When I die/want to come back as your bass guitar/hold me in your arms/bounce me off your hip/tune me up/pluck my strings/'til my body sings". If you find that to be a bit too wussy and precious, maybe this isn't for you. But it screams old school pop romanticism, and I love it.
Throw in a few more tunes that sound like the '70s power pop ideal - Americans playing peppy pop tunes with a big nod to the best of the British Invasion - and you basically get an idea of what this well balanced album is all about. It might have been a good idea to lop off a tune or two, not because anything is outright bad, but at 56 minutes, it's tough to take in the whole disc. Of course, if the description above already has you salivating, this point is probably moot. A stellar debut album for both the band and the label.

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Starsailor
Love Is Here

(Capitol)

starsailor.net

Release Date: January 8, 2002

The latest model from the British Rock Hype Factory, Starsailor comes with a veneer of credibility (ex. - the band is named after a Tim Buckley song), a sound that allows it to be lumped in with the post-Radiohead set (Travis, Coldplay, et. al) and the wherewithal to hit the road in the States. And they portray emotion with all the subtlety of an episode of Touched By An Angel. To borrow a phrase from a Duck's Breath Mystery Theater sketch, Starsailor sounds like it has a heart so big, it takes the whole world to break it.

The Buckley comparison goes beyond the name - lead singer James Walsh warbles and wails and vibratos with a seriousness and energy that demands your attention. In fact, Walsh's acrobatics are almost enough to make you ignore the words he's singing. Which would be a good idea, unless you are a fan of unintentional comedy.

The musical settings are suitably majestic. Sometimes, the band Gene comes to mind ("Love is Here"), along with some of the similarly styled bands noted in the first paragraph. But the band avoids hooks to such an extent, it seems to be almost a conscious attempt to avoid catchiness - the song form is there, but what passes for refrains and choruses are generally uninvolving. They need a dose of melodic magic - some Kitchens of Distinction, some Catherine Wheel - heck, Styx covered some of this territory more effectively. (You see, I prefer cheesiness to pretension).

The band does whip up ample atmosphere, enough that some of the tunes remain inviting. "She Just Wept" and "Poor Misguided Fool" each work fairly well. "Fool" is simply the best constructed tune - a steady strong acoustic strum with prominent piano - something about this song reminds me of Dire Straits circa Making Movies, with more intense vocals and no guitar solo - I'm probably way off on that. "Wept" is the other side of the coin, all delicate and shivery - it has the best vocal on the album.

On the other hand, the aforementioned howler lyrics kill some tracks. It's tough to recover from an opener like "don't you know you got your daddy's eyes/and daddy was an alcoholic" ("Alcoholic") - when you follow it with "stand by my side/and the pipe dream is yours now", the song has to be declared D.O.A. Buzzwords and clichés do not make for a compelling dramatic tune.

There is a place for widescreen emotions in pop - though it helps if they are backed by wisdom, or sly humor (ex. - Morrissey). Here, the band's songs seem to be more about amplifying emotion than actually feeling it or chronicling it. So when Walsh dashes off a high powered guitar solo, leading into the intended big dramatic chorus, the craftsmanship is admirable, but still elicits a 'so what?' The ingredients are here, but the recipe isn't so hot.

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Peter Lacey
Thru A Glass Brightly

(Pink Hedgehog)

pinkhedgehog.com

Haunting piano based melancholy from a man with an Eric Carmen-ish voice and a yen for melodies in the key of (Brian) Wilson, post-Pet Sounds. The production is decidedly lo- to mid-fi, which seems unusual for a take on the California pop sound. Though Lacey plays a lot of keyboards on the record, and the piano is often at the center of his tunes, the recording often places the vocals well in the forefront, giving the recording a spartan nature that is well tailored to the moods of the songs. Though some of the melodies are warm and inviting, the disc as a whole captures a pensive state, as if Lacey, in his tales of life and love, is working out his emotions. While some folks may immediately grasp his muse, it took me a couple more listens, but then the work hit me hard. While a few songs are not fully realized, there is some subtle brilliance at work.

At times, Lacey seems to be finding a new wrinkle in the Brian Wilson template, with a stately tone reminiscent of some of John Cale's mid-'70s Wilson-inspired work. Take "Ellen Street", with a string arrangement that is kind of Paris 1919 and literate lyrics ruing the destruction of a place that lives on in memory: "Gone the roll of wooden wheels/the shout for any old iron/and the man fearing aeroplane engine overhead." The title cut also has a ruminating quality - whereas Wilson's music is white boy gospel celebration, Lacey uses the same musical tools to cast a more contemplative aspect.

Which isn't to say this is a morose disc. "Inspiration" is appropriately uplifting, with a simple ascending melody. A languid number with a Stevie Wonderish harmonica part, "Kathy in Chiaroscuro" has a slight tropical rhythm with pleading chords and distant backing vocals, with a keyboard interlude at the end that has traces of Lindsay Buckingham's "Trouble". Still, most of the disc is occupied by the more pensive tunes. Other quiet grabbers include "Fools & Kings" and "The Sparkle Room".
For some, the lower production standard may be a turn off. Though this music is investigating territory similar to High Llamas and The Pearlfishers, some may find the less slick sounds here distracting. As I noted at the beginning, I think that sometimes the nature of the recording is entirely appropriate for the overall tone of the tunes. But I will readily concede that Lacey would benefit from a better recording. Perhaps in the future he will be able to display his obvious talents in a higher tech setting. Lacey is an intriguing talent, nonetheless.

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Various Artists
Pop Under The Surface, Volume 4

(Zip/Yesterday Girl)

ziprecords.com

Iggy Pop once sang "I wish life could be Swedish magazines". Anyone who has been to an adult bookstore can understand Mr. Pop's sentiment - let's just say the Swedes are experts at compiling magic moments. Further proof of this proposition can be found with the fourth installment of this splendid pop comp series. Yesterday Girl honcho Stefan Johansson spans the globe to bring you the constant variety of top notch power pop.
The U.S., Netherlands, Japan, Spain and Australia are all represented here. Two international discoveries of note - La Ruta is a Spanish band that plays punchy guitar rock, effectively augmenting the proceedings with trumpet and saxaphone. Meanwhile, the Dutch contingent The Waistcoats get all swoony on "Forgive Me", a number that falls somewhere between The Searchers and The Dave Clark Five. Oh, and their lead singer/guitarist goes by the name Stringwrecker. Boss!
Whereas the Waistcoats go full jangle '60s, Milwaukee's The Lackloves, featuring former Blow Pops Mike Jarvis and Jack Rice, go even further to the roots of pop-rock - "Something in Your Eyes" is strong evidence that Jarvis not only knows his British Invasion but studied Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers and other original rockers. It's made all the better by his John Lennon-ish vocals.

Speaking of vocals, Robbie Rist makes a welcome return to the microphone with the one-off Waking Bartonomous, on "Cure For Aids". With Steve Barton's guitar in the front of the mix, Rist modifies the Dan Bern-penned tune to incorporate the names of a lot of power poppers on a list of the people he'll sleep with once AIDS is eliminated.

Other notable tracks include Western Electric's "Memory Captures Time" - this is ex-Long Ryder Sid Griffin's new band, which often does some offbeat country-tinged rock, but this tune from member Pat McGarvey is straightforward Byrdsy bliss. Jeffrey Foskett revives a tune from his old band The Pranks, "Tell Me". Think a lighter version of what The Nerves and The Plimsouls were doing in the late-'70s.

The Oranges' "Love Letter" is more giddy bubbleglam from the Japanese quartet. Cockeyed Ghost's "I Will Fight No More" would have merited inclusion on their awesome Ludlow 6:18 disc. Two early-60's throwbacks are splendid - Peter Marston's "Don't Let Her Out of Your Sight" shows off his warm voice (in league with that of Pat (Smithereens) DiNizio and Josh (ex-Smoking Popes) Caterer) to great effect; Joyride is a lite Merseybeat bit of team up magic from Jeremy Morris and Ed James.

Other great tracks come from the likes of Evelyn Forever (holy teenarama, these guys are caffienated!), The Tonies (near punk-pop), Bullwinkel Gandhi (an unreleased track) and Rocket Transfer Warehouse (robust Balti-pop). One of the best compilations of 2001.

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