Gary
Glauber
Reviews:
April,
2005

The Mockers
The Lonesome Death of Electric Campfire

(Zebra Records)

Spanish Release Date: March 22, 2005

U.S. Release Date: Available as import

www.themockers.net

This spring, there's good news for intelligent power pop fans the world over - The Mockers are back. The Mockers are one of those rare bands that marry smart lyrics with pleasantly melodic power pop -- and abundant proof of that is in evidence on their third (and arguably best ever) studio release, The Lonesome Death of Electric Campfire. These twelve new songs present a wide range of musical moods in impressive style.

While some bands suffer from staleness and sameness of sound, The Mockers avoid this trap. With two quality songwriters on hand (Seth Gordon and Tony Leventhal), there's always a healthy variety of song styles. Gordon has written the majority of these new songs (eight are his, four are Leventhal's). Additionally, the variety is enhanced by the fact there are two different top-notch producers at work here (Robbie Rist and Mitch Easter) - with very different sound styles.

Joining Leventhal (vocals, bass) and Gordon (vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards) as The Mockers this time around are the powerfully talented actor/musician/producer/general wunderkind Robbie Rist (vocals, lead guitar, keyboards) and, back from his work on Brian Wilson Presents Smile, the impressive Nelson Bragg (vocals, drums, percussion). There's also a host of talented guest musicians who join these four on various tracks.

The CD opens with the up-tempo rock of "Real Enough For Me," an infectious but brief little song about an online relationship. It does a great job of making the case for the magic of such internet dalliances: "I don't know what real life is / Or what it's supposed to be / I only know how you make me feel / And that's real enough for me / It isn't ones and zeros / A whisper to a screen / The sound of drums from you to me."

"Doin' Time" is a tuneful modern lament of a corporate pawn going crazy while caught up in the American dream turned nightmare, an owned man trying to remember what this runaround's all about: "Now I do the commute in my three-piece suit / With a laptop open, on the cell phone talking / And I wish I could find a way out of this mine / Even though I'm on the outside / I'm still doing…Doin' time."

There's a pleasant reunion afoot in "Something New," which has that typical Mitch Easter lush production sound to it (similar in spots to the work Easter has done with George Usher). Here something old is something new, as our narrator meets someone they know they always knew.

"Straight In The Eyes" is an outright plea for truth and honesty from a sad liar incapable of providing that direct eye contact asked for, and features trumpet from Probyn Gregory, backing vox from Bill Holmes and saxophone from Frankie Mooney. Guitars and harmonies drive "You Can Call Me," which first chides a friend who tends to exaggerate matters ("you make a scratch a tumor"), but ultimately ends with forgiveness ("You know it kills me, when I see all these stupid things haunt you / It's still just me, and I've always understood").

Things take on a harder rocking edge with the charming "Mola, Guay, OK." The Mockers have a big following in Spain (where this CD is being released), and this song is a melodic wink and a nod to the language barriers sometimes encountered there. As Seth Gordon relates it: "I learn the phrases and I pick the best ones / From what I hear and read / And even though I don't know what I'm saying / They think I'm from Valladolid /
When I'm lost in the conversation / And I don't know what to say / I just nod my head and I tell them / Mola, guay, ok."

"Little Girl Blue" is a Beatle-esque ditty from Mr. Leventhal, chock full of jangly guitars and sweet harmonies, yet with acid lyrics delivered to a self-righteous child of forty-two.
Mr. Gordon pokes some tuneful fun at the mad world we live in with "Bullets And Babies" ("it's funny what people will leave behind").

The CD features a bonus video of the Mockers' rocking political anthem for the new millennium "The Emperor Strikes Out Again." Led by Robbie Rist's high-energy guitars, Phil Parlapiano on horns and Riel Gallagher on sax, there's a pleasant Ramones-like urgency, as the band takes aim at our new Napoleon: "Cowboy George on his throne / Shooting off your guns and your mouth on the ranch / Pissing off the world from Mozambique to France /Now we're stuck on our own." Never has dissent been so darn catchy - and there's a nice little bow to "Taxman" at the song's end, with backing vox mentions of Spain's Senor Aznar and England's Mr. Blair.

The Mockers do get around to some cheeky mocking in "(Stuck In) New York In The Summertime," a thinly-veiled response to Fountains of Wayne's "Valley Winter Song." While the FOW song assured Annie that winter soon would give way to spring, this folksy ballad tells Nessy that the hot, humid NYC summer will eventually relinquish its hold to Fall. There's advantage discovered being stuck in the city, however, as the city becomes a deserted paradise: "They've left on a weekend exodus / For the townships of Bridgehampton, south, east and west / Nessy we can breath now despite the mugginess /
We're stuck in New York in the summertime."

In an album full of sweet songs, one of the strongest is the Penny Lane-ish "Willoughby Station." This cleverly arranged song touts the idyllic final destination of Willoughby Station on a pleasant musical train ride that features Morley Bartnoff on piano, Probyn Gregory on horns and Derrick Anderson on backing vocals.

The CD closes with the sweet love ballad "A Girl I've Never Met." Here we're assured that nothing's accidental, that things are connected from lives that came long before: "I'll try hard to remember / But I know I won't forget / A girl I've always known / Is a girl I've never met."

This is smart power pop from a tight band, expertly executed and well-produced. In addition, the CD comes packaged as though it were a dime-store novel from another era, with a 28-page booklet that offers lyrics in both Spanish and English (and the aforementioned video bonus).

Leventhal, Gordon, Rist and Bragg really deliver the power pop goods in a big way here, building on any number of past influences with a sound that's hook-laden and reassuringly familiar without being derivative. If you liked the previous albums from The Mockers, you'll really love *The Lonesome Death Of Electric Campfire*. This is the band's best effort yet, twelve strong songs with no filler, and a real testament as to how often the major labels now seem to be missing out on some very good music.

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Paul Gilbert
Space Ship One

(Bat Girl Records)

Japan Release Date: March 23, 2005

U.S. Release Date: Available as import

www.paulgilbert.com
www.cdjapan.co.jp

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=UICE-1109

It's a proven fact - sometimes all anyone needs for fun is some hard rocking loud guitar-based rock and roll. Fortunately, when that rock is the product of guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert, there's a pleasant pop edge to the music, a variety of styles, with intelligence and wry humor thrown into the mix. Space Ship One is just under an hour's worth of music, but it's at least a year's worth of good guitar fun.

Guitar prodigy Gilbert was raised in Greensburg, PA where he began playing music at age five. By 15, he was featured in Guitar Player magazine (already playing local clubs with his then band Tau Zero). At 18, he headed west to attend Los Angeles' Guitar Institute of Technology - within a year's time, he was added to the faculty as an instructor. Lest those shredding skills go to waste, Gilbert formed a band which would evolve into Racer X. Long story short, after two albums with Racer X, Gilbert left to join Mr. Big (which disbanded in 1996). Since 1997, Gilbert has continued as a solo artist, making fine music for a cadre of loyal followers. Known and respected by other musicians, Paul Gilbert's music remains somewhat under-appreciated in the U.S., though he has a popular fan base in Japan (where this newest album has been released).

Gilbert has assembled a fine power trio for the new CD, joining forces with the talents of Linus of Hollywood on bass and Marco Minnemann on drums.

The title track opens the CD as the ultimate "pimped up car" song imaginable. With tongue firmly in cheek, Gilbert relates the thrills of driving his space ship: "This little number's gonna say goodbye to all the gravity and unleaded fuels / Yeah my car's pretty good but Space Ship One just rules." Needless to say, Gilbert's guitar skills are in fine evidence here - there's no doubting his speed and agility on the fretboard.

There's a lot of likeability to Gilbert's songs. "Every Hot Girl Is A Rockstar" is a simple enough concept that should appeal to the teen-aged boy in all of us- observing those hot and unobtainable girls from a distance - feeling the mixed fear and admiration as if viewing rock stars.

A trace of Gilbert's heavy metal past find its way into "On The Way To Hell," in which he slyly couches wry social commentary into hard rock trappings (name-checking Sid Vicious along the way), delivering lyrics like this: "On the way to hell / It's a City like L.A. / They got a new Hard Rock Café / We'll buy a T-shirt on a holiday / Because your friends will wanna see it." Gilbert knows this genre well, and he masters it easily, yet it's worth the closer listen his lyrics demand.

Sometimes fun is just lyrical simplicity - witness "SVT," a love song to a bass that will "vibrate your whole damn face" and "melt your ears like icecubes." I think the point is obvious - when you can play guitar like Paul Gilbert does here, who needs lyrical profundity? The man delivers jaw-dropping leads - and if that's in the service of loving his loud bass, then so be it.

There are two instrumental tracks included. The first, "Jackhammer," is a hard-driving five minutes of rock, a fast-tempo piece that veers into jazz fusion territory at times and allows all three players to show their respective (and most impressive) chops. Marco Minnemann's solo here is a percussive delight. The second instrumental, entitled "G9" is a softer number, a pleasant aural excursion.

A serviceable "Terrible Man" is a condemnation of rockers, a musical confession that he's done his baby wrong, etc. There's plenty of lyrical repetition (hey, okay, I believed you at the ninth "I'm a terrible man"), but the guitar leads redeem all faults.

"Interaction" hearkens back to strong metal tunes of decades past (think Blackmore's Deep Purple years), only with even stronger guitar. Gilbert makes the instrument drive the song in a strong way, then lets it wail with powerful leads. You get plenty of riveting guitar for the buck in this four minute plus track.

One of the best songs here is "Mr. Spock," in which the man incapable of emotions actually breaks down, and denies it to the hilt: "Now I'm a big strong man so don't you think that I'm crying / No it's the rain outside getting on my face / Or the foam from a glass of beer / Or the water fountain was misplaced / It is anything but a tear." The harmonies and delectible melody of pop meet metal here and it's a totally happy combination.

In deference to his popularity in Japan, Gilbert has written a song in Japanese here. The very infectious "Boku No Atama" is accessible in any language, short but sweet.

Another genial harmony-laden tune is "Good Man." This is exactly the kind of song I wish would get played on the radio - sadly, it won't be. Gilbert has a real gift not only for creating harder rocking songs - his softer pop side is impressive too. Here he crafts a solid love song that will soon have you singing along. Linus of Hollywood delivers some fine bass lines here as well.

Lest you think Gilbert would get too serious for too long, there's the buoyant standard blues cut of "Wash My Car." Girls and cars and rock and roll are the main ingredients to this fine simmering stew - and frankly, don't we all just feel better after washing our cars? There's a pride to it, sure, and here it's expressed via consummate guitarmanship on Gilbert's part.

The longest track here is a fairly straightforward cover of George Harrison's "It's All Too Much." There's a sense of reverence here, from one fine guitarist to another, and it's a pleasure to hear.

The CD closes with the mellifluous "We All Dream of Love," the only keyboard-based song here. It's an optimistic harmony-laced homage to how we all hope for love, asking: "What else can you do - until you meet that one who hopes for you?"

All told, Gilbert presents another strong solo collection that serves up a variety of impressive guitar sounds, from melodic pop to harder metal-tinged rock. You'll be hard-pressed to find a better guitar player anywhere, and what's great about Gilbert is that his music is always a fun listen. He not only has talent, he tempers it with humor and intelligence. By surrounding himself with musicians capable of keeping pace with him (both Linus and Marco shine here), Gilbert also ups the ante. On Space Ship One, the band is tight, the songs are right, and the sounds emanating from that small army of Ibanez guitars are "heavenly."

If you love guitar (and I do), you'll have to admit the truth of the lyrics: Space Ship One just rules.

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Vinyl Kings
Time Machine

(Vinyl King Records)

Release Date: January 27, 2005

www.vinylkings.com

When a group of talented Nashville musicians came together as the Vinyl Kings in 2002 to release a superb album/homage of original songs in the style of (and peppered with musical references to) The Beatles, most thought it was likely a one-off deal. A Little Trip was an enjoyable, well-produced, high-quality listen that showed off the talents of all involved - and truly, how do you follow up a Fab Four soundscape?

Since these guys are career musicians, the idea of stopping at one wasn't even a big consideration. The proof is they're back with a new release - this time taking on more of our past via songs that serve up further imitation/tribute in the styles of revered musical giants. The overarching premise of Time Machine is that you are using this magical machine to transport back to the 1960s, to a recording studio complex wherein there are a number of huge artists all present, recording at once. In other words, this time around, it's not just The Beatles, it's largely Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys (oh, and Marvin Gaye is there too). I'm not sure the concept really is needed, but it's a pleasant enough fictional construct. The real treats are the songs themselves.

The CD opens with the sound effects (once the dials are set) that take you back in time. "Time Machine" is an upbeat introduction to the concept that mixes several 1960s styles into one and both musically and lyrically gives you a hint of what's to come: "Sit back and take a break / Set it back to yesterday / back to how it use to be /Let's start off in '63
Relax your mind 'cause here we go / Yeah the Time Machine's about to roll."

"Mr. Greedyman" is a most infectious song in the style of psychedelic-era Beatles (with lead vocals reminiscent of Lennon). This Greedyman is a taker who wants control of it all (and baby, he's a rich man). This time around, the Vinyl Kings are less interested in providing musical references. Instead, many of these songs are just in the style of those times, and even when they don't conjure up immediate reference/associations, they still come across as catchy well-constructed pop songs.

The majority of these songs were written by Larry Lee and Josh Leo (often in collaboration with others). Lee is perhaps best known as the former lead singer and songwriter for the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, recording 8 albums with the group from 1975-1982. Since then, he has lent his voice to a number of projects (with the like of Rita Coolidge, Buffett and the late Hoyt Axton). More recently, Lee's taken to the production end of things, working with artists like Alabama, Restless Heart, K.T. Oslin and Juice Newton.
Josh Leo is another former touring guitarist (Buffet, Glenn Frey, Kim Carnes, J.D. Souther) who turned into a successful producer/songwriter with a resume that spans over 150 recordings with a legion of diverse artists (e.g., Alabama, LeAnn Rimes, Reba McEntire, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Timothy B. Schmitt, Kathy Mattea, Brenda Lee).

They wrote "67 (Home)" with special guest/lead vocalist on the track Pat Buchanan. This is a song that references a ton of things/people/events from that long-ago summer of love. It's a fine jaunt, with additional fun provided through those musical and lyrical references: "Hangin' at the Fillmore rockin' every night / Muddy Water's singin' under psychedelic lights / The Dead are in the back room /smokin' everything in sight / Helter Shelter it all came down / Me and monkey couldn't be found / Sadie's in the corner lookin' for something new / Apple roof top, a little too late / Dylan's in the basement makin' pink tapes / Singin' "It's all over now, baby blue."

Drummer/percussionist Harry Stinson collaborates with Lee/Leo on a beautiful ballad called "Your Turn To Shine," which I suppose could be called McCartney-esque, yet is good enough to stand on its own merits. It's a sweet song of positive encouragement toward someone leaving home for the world at large, chasing dreams "anywhere your heart may lead."

Starting at track five, the real focus of this new album gets underway with four songs that are the focal point of Time Machine. In light of the popularity of last year's long-awaited completion and release of Brian Wilson Presents Smile, it seems like The Beach Boys/Brian Wilson-influences are to music what black is to high fashion. Everyone's wearing those influences this year it seems, some more obviously than others.

"Sycamore Bay" is blatant - even mentioning The Beach Boys within its lyrics. This uber-surf song combines a lot of different BB-eras of sounds into one - from Pet Sounds to "Kokomo." It does a good job of capturing those recognizable sounds, while conveying those simplistic summer directives: "Put on some shorts, I'll wax up the board / we'll Pack up the Woody and head to the shore."

Former Steppenwolf guitarist Larry Byrom collaborates with Leo and Lee on "Pale Blue Dot," a spot-on Brian Wilson-esque homage that perfectly captures his style in track about viewing things/memories from a great eternity of distance.

The Beach Boys-tribute continues with Josh Leo's "One Love At A Time." This gorgeous ear candy really trades on extraordinary harmonies (think "In My Room") as it offers up hope in the face of failed relationships: "Keep looking for blue skies / keep praying for sunshine / I've made up my mind / I'm taking it one love at a time."

Larry Lee and Harry Stinson offer up one more Wilson/Beach Boys-type track with the sunny "Just Another Day." This winsome tale of a man literally lost and confused without his love, reminds us again of all the wonderful music Wilson and The Beach Boys have given us.

Guitarist Jim Photoglo gives us a rather different tribute/homage track. His song "Pray For Peace" starts with street sounds that fade into the controlled bass lines of Michael Rhodes. It's a wonderful protest song in the Motown style of Marvin Gaye. As such, it recalls such classics as "What's Going On" and "Mercy Mercy Me."

The album rounds out with the dulcet "Eloise" (featuring a string arrangement that just points up the song's beauty) and the equally sweet ballad "And Love You," a tale of a man promising to be a better, more attentive lover. These two songs show that the Vinyl Kings can create pretty music without having to rely on the novelty of imitating the styles of others.

It's an interesting conundrum. These five musicians (and their many contributing musical guests) do wonderful songs "in the style of others." And imitation is the highest form of flattery. On *Time Machine* they primarily flatter Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys (much the way they flattered The Beatles with their first release).

When there's good music, concepts and tributes seem unnecessary. I think the Vinyl Kings have shown that they not only can create in the styles of musical greats, but can also devise decent music of their own. Time Machine is another well-produced collection, largely in the service of paying musical homage to others.

I think it's time the talented Vinyl Kings stepped out on their own. Here's hoping their next release features nothing more than straight ahead good, original, well-crafted pop songs - sans tributes or concepts. It's something even nostalgic fans would crave.

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The Fire Apes
Central Park Carousel

(Kool Kat Musik)

Release Date: February 10, 2005

www.thefireapes.com

By Gary Glauber

The latest Brit-pop invasion comes from Charleston, South Carolina in the guise of The Fire Apes and their fine sophomore release Central Park Carousel. While these dozen songs ring true with that affable sound of pleasant 1960s jangle pop, there's often more behind that songs than what's obvious.

The Fire Apes is mostly the efforts of John Seymour, who is surrounded by a band only on two tracks here. Other than that (and the constant presence of Paolo Licciardi on drums), Seymour has written all the songs, does all the vocals, plays all the guitars and bass and even contributes percussion. He's the creative powerhouse behind this new collection - and his talents translate to some very enjoyable pop that hearkens back to an earlier era.

John Seymour is an avid reader and thinker, so inspirations from the literary world or political events often find their subtle way into the lyrics of what may seem on the surface to be merely love songs. Even the name of the band is derived from an essay by Loren Eisley about how a certain species discovers something (like fire) and then eventually it gets incorporated into the lives of the whole species. Eisley was inspired by nothing more than squirrels gaining access into birdfeeders - so go figure.

The current CD's title of course is a nod to J.D. Salinger's "Catcher In The Rye," wherein the Central Park Carousel plays a pivotal role in the plot (where Holden watches Phoebe on the carousel, perhaps his greatest moment of happiness in the book). The songs here generally reflect that happiness.

The CD opens with "Lori," a genial guitar-driven pop song that confesses a love for someone relatively unknown ("I don't know her / I think I love her") that is in part inspired by Salinger's short stories ("pretty mouth and green my eyes") as well as F. Scott Fitzgerald's "A Life In Letters." However, it's unlikely that any listener would likely pick up on this (until now).

"Let Me Know" opens up with a jangly guitar riff that sounds a lot like the oft-covered Reg Presley classic "Love Is All Around," yet Seymour takes it in another direction here. It's a pretty harmony-filled song about the difficulty of communication within relationships.

A more upbeat number, "Summer," reflects not only the season, but the state of mind that comes with it. It's happy and infectious and loaded up with guitars.

Seymour shows a more pensive, reflective side on the double-tracked vocals of "I'm Always Thinking (How Good It Would Be)." The narrator here seems fairly assured of eventual pleasant endings, and smiles pondering that in the mean time. Again, this is fine music in the style of Britpop's heydays of yore.

One of my favorites here is the ska-tinged "Five Inside," which could be an English Beat number from the new wave days, though there are vocal tics and a happy feel that also recalls The Housemartins. Mike Pennington does a fine job on bass here, and Jeff Bateman helps out on guitars. This is great fun, and you can dance to it.

The Fire Apes go a bit Flo and Eddie-like (or The Association) with the harmonies at the opening of "Isabel (The Razor's Edge)." You've read W.Somerset Maugham's book, you've seen both versions of the movie, now hear the song. It's basically a dulcet love song, as the dreamer Larry pursues Isabel (who spurns him ultimately for someone more practical, alas).

The one cover song in this collection features The Fire Apes doing their version of the Goffin-King Herman's Hermits hit "I'm Into Something Good." They give this strong song a harder guitar edge that works well.

Seymour explains that his lyrics often are written metaphorically with layers of meaning. He knows that listeners can either hear the lyrics as they are, or delve more deeply. Either way, Seymour seeks to capture a feeling - and if there's a message/theme/motif
inspired by a book or experience, then he hopes that leads to a meaningful inspiration for listeners.

"You've Got That Love" is an intriguing example of this. On the surface, it's another pretty and melodic love song, yet Seymour's lyrics also are influenced by (of all things) Bobby Kennedy's role in the Cuban Missile Crisis during discussions about attacking the Russian navy and/or Russia ("confusion and recrimination / re-ignited through temptation"). I don't think anyone's likely to pick up on this - instead, most will just enjoy the song for its aural pleasures - but it's fascinating to know the factors that go into a lyric.

Another of my favorites here is "All The Right Things." A strong melody and superb harmonies elevate the song, which is about feeling dissatisfaction in spite of things being done the right way (inspired by Rimbaud's poetry and search to understand the deeper meanings of things).

Seymour knows how to write beautiful melodies and well-constructed pop songs. Witness "For A Day," another gorgeous love song (that love thing never seems to go smoothly, does it). "Tell Me (What Do You Think About Loving Me?)" is an upbeat pondering of that musical question, sent to that confusing stranger who probably doesn't even know his name: "my dream won't fade away / it's all just imagery."

The CD closes with the poignant ballad "I Love You," seemingly another sweet love song, but actually inspired by Orwell's "1984" and the note the protagonist receives from a "part member." But not to worry - it works plenty well as a love song without any literary cliff notes.

There's no doubting the talents of John Seymour and The Fire Apes. This is pleasant music, easy on the ears, chock full of harmony and sweet guitars with a very subtle intelligent literary bent to the lyrics. As such, *Central Park Carousel* is a most enjoyable musical ride, and will have fans of that catchy Britpop-style music coming back for more.

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Sparkwood
Jalopy Pop!

(Sparkwood Music)

Japan Release Date: April 4, 2005
US Release Date: Available as import

www.sparkwood.com

Four years after their debut effort, Austin-based Sparkwood returns to deliver another fine collection of pleasantly melodic pop. Jalopy Pop! serves up a healthy portion of sweet songs that seem awash in aural sunshine and happy sounds (though the lyrics often run contrary to that direction). Bart Padar, the man behind the songs, is well versed in creating the kind of well-constructed pop that runs 3-5 minutes and leaves a most genial impression.

On this record, he's a whirlwind of creative energy that lights the spark behind Sparkwood; he writes and arranges the songs, plays keyboards, acoustic guitar and handles all lead vocals. Padar also knows how to make a reviewer smile. Here is how he describes his band: "If Queen met Jellyfish on the softball field and the players wore Sgt. Pepper's LHCB uniforms and Ben Folds was the umpire, Sparkwood would write the music." I'm unsure that's the game afoot with this particular collection, but it's a good listen regardless.

After some 40 seconds of electronic sounds and a checklist prior to takeoff, things get underway with "Miles Away," an uber-catchy song that might garner radio play in decades past. This is modern teen angst given voice in music: a story of how meds get in the way of love, changing a formerly close person into someone distant and removed.

In "Cruel World," Padar and friends expose what happens when lovers are at cross purposes, when what seemed a great match at first deteriorates over time: "You wanted to get away from life in this town / I needed to get away from the walls coming in / Love is a cruel thing / Life is a cruel world / Sometimes I wish that life as we know it would end." These are lyrics that could be ripped from the pages of someone's diary, set against a melody that could comfortably fit into the soundtrack of *Grease*.

Also reminiscent of that sort of 1950s piano ballad is the poignant "Nichole's Overture," wherein poetic lyrics express empathy toward a confused girl at a loss, not knowing which way to turn.

There's a feel of traditionally happy, cheery past pop to "In Your Lovin' Arms" (which features some nice bass lines from Josh Gravelin). The harmonies are accented with electronic synth sounds in this tale of lovers lamenting their separation and thinking of their eventual reunion. Padar gives a nod to Jon Sebastian's "Welcome Back" at the song's close.

Padar takes pretty melodies and arrangements that sound familiar and pleasant, and decorates them with lyrics that update past conventions with modern concerns. Even the seemingly small stakes of a song about a confusing relationship (the mysteriously titled "D") is given an intriguing musical arrangement featuring clarinet (Marianne Tatom Letts) and trombone (Adrian Hernandez). This girl stands him up one night, then realizes what she did was wrong. After they make up, our narrator winds up "right back where I started." While there's nothing earth-shattering about such insights about young love, they have an emotional honesty that works.

Working off familiar (and annoying) telephone sounds, Sparkwood heads into another pleasant harmony-laced pop song with "Past Experience." Our hero is trying to prevent his baby from moving away, but she refuses to answer the phone (and thus, he's starting to lose his mind).

There's a somber feel to "Ready For The Day," as a man picks up the pieces after a dashed relationship: "The morning is cold and dark and gray / what's become of yesterday." There's a nice middle bridge of dreamy harmonies and operatic vocals, and while the lyrics lean toward optimistic new hopes, there's still a seriousness to the music (and a coda that could be a cousin to the opening of "Strawberry Fields").

Another relationship gone awry song is "Wishing You Well," wherein one recounts feeling that one's "heart has gone for a ride." Again, this is genial pop of the first order - sweet sugary melody and plenty of harmony.

Rocking, bouncy guitar-driven Southern pop is the fare of "Where She Ought To Be," (featuring some fine guitar from Peter Elliott), offering musical advice we all can use: "Don't fade before you flame." Another mid-tempo rocker is "Emergency," a tale of yet another failed romance.

"Glimpse of Hope" is another ballad, asking for understanding and some respect: "Maybe I'm not gonna fall in your footsteps / that don't mean you gotta look down on me." With "3 Words," Padar shows off his keyboard virtuosity, both on piano and synth. It's an affecting apology about taking so long to say those magical three words. A bonus "Train Song" rewards those who let the last track run on, setting solid advice to pleasant music: "Look to your soul / to guide you through / it's all you can do."

With 14 songs, Jalopy Pop! gives you plenty - just under a full hour of the kind of easygoing sweet pop that recalls earlier eras, updated with lyrics that speak more to modern lovers' dilemmas. The sweetness never gets overly saccharine or syrupy, and Bart Padar and Boo MacLeod keep the production clean. While the personnel change from track to track, there are fine performances here from the likes of Adam Tyner, Jason Bryl, Peter Elliott, Josh Gravelin, Mike Watson, Brandon Gonzales, Michael J. Wane and Whit Williams.

All told, Sparkwood's Jalopy Pop! is an accomplished sophomore collection from the talented Padar and friends, one that fans of sweet melodic pop will be sure to love.

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Jackdaw4
Gramophone Logic

(369 Music)

U.K. Release Date: January 18, 2005
U.S. Release Date: Available As Import

www.jackdaw4.com

When you come across that rare album that arrives fully realized and oozing with rich, melodic pop talent, the temptation is to drop everything and go shout its praises from the rooftop. That's where you may have heard me recently, apprising my neighbors of the many merits to be found in Jackdaw4's Gramophone Logic.

This U.K. band's unlikely debut arrives polished to a high studio sheen, showing influences that are sometimes obvious, sometimes less so, and a firm knowledge of how to craft great pop songs. These incredibly accomplished and well-produced songs are the brainchildren of pop veteran Willie Dowling, who was last seen with the band Sugar Plum Fairies (and Honeycrack prior to that). Dowling adds vocals, keyboards, bass, guitars, ukulele and banjo, when not producing, engineering and mixing the effort. He's joined by the expert talents of Greg Hatwell (vocals, guitars and percussion), Andy Lewis (vocals, bass, double bass) and Andy Robertson (drums, percussion), along with a number of guest musicians.

Born out of the remains of a band project known as The Celebrity Squares, Jackdaw4 deliver ten songs that show a wide range of sounds that derive from the rock gods Lennon and McCartney and Wilson. This is melodic, layered rock with great harmonic and guitar/keyboard riffs that verges on the meticulously symphonic at times, recalling any number of other bands (ELO, Jellyfish, Queen, The Wondermints, XTC, and Squeeze just to name a few). There's not a single three-chord rocker to be found here - rather, Dowling creates complex and energetic songs that vary in tempo and arrangement.

The album opens impressively with "This Is Your Life." From the first guitar chord's strum, we're off on a rollicking musical journey. The song is a lush rocker that takes on the superficial trappings of fame as worthless: "This is your life and these were your moments / this is your life / it might as well be done / you may as well lay down / if this is your life, then you can keep it."

Many bands aspire to capture that signature Jellyfish sound (Queen meets Beach Boys and then some), but few succeed. "The Day I Wrote The Book" shines with Spilt Milk-style harmonies and hooks; Jellyfish fans will be most pleased. Dowling and associates give us a short yet sweet taste of that marvelous sound in a song that talks about capturing each day's nasty details on the page (and references the Beach Boys and their harmonies directly).

"King For A Day" shows us a different side of Jackdaw4. The vocals are laid-back (and remind me of Del Amitri's Justin Currie) and there's a different rock flavor at work. This is a song about reflecting back on what once was a grand time but is no longer: "washed up, pretty sad, look at what you had before / hopped up 'til the highs and lows feel all the same / King for just one day / now you know for sure it goes away / it's a world away from now / and it seems so close somehow."

Jackdaw4 goes funky with "Everything I See," which features great syncopated rhythms and octave-apart vocals that serve as an additional hook. This is song as social censure, taking a hard cynical look at the state of things, politics and otherwise, ultimately declaring "the future's not what it used to be."

It's Wondermints meets Jellyfish on the sweet "Karaoke Ballet," a harmony-filled eulogy for the death of live music. Alas, the beautiful people now need synchronized dancing in a karaoke ballet, no thinking allowed. The lyrics are great ("blessed are the brash and bombastic") - but unfortunately, they're not included in the CD booklet, one of the only flaws to be found with this release.

"Stupid" kicks things up into high gear, in a song that has Squeeze elements alongside those from latter-day Beatles and more. This band proves here there is a happy medium between intelligence and rock - now if only there was a commercial outlet for it.

One of my favorites is "Deep And Meaningless," another song that employs Squeeze-like octave-apart vocals, along with additional vocals from Eva Rice. It's another lush rocker that picks apart modern society and its faults (lack of trust, madness, sadness, democracy is dead, etc.), but ultimately there's consolation in the music's mindless dance beat (amen).

There's a spacier feel to the waltz that is "Strange Attraction," with its smooth Jeff Lynne/George Harrison-type guitars and rich harmonies. Dowling's acid lyrics are on target again - skewering our latest social addictions and ruses ("too much is never enough").

The soft piano-based ballad "Maybe You Know" shows the quieter side of Jackdaw4.

The CD closes with the grand horns that announce the opening of "Happy? (Dumka)." This opening then morphs into a marvelous harmony-infused song that successfully manages to marry Beach Boys with White Album-era Beatles, as the lyrics go about listing any number of things to be happy for (some sillier than others). There's also a short bonus song tagged onto the final track ("Think Too Much").

All told, Gramophone Logic is an aural wonder to behold. It's fresh yet familiar, a debut that surprisingly sounds like a band at its mature height. Dowling and his talented compadres take a rich mélange of past influences and translate them into something new and compelling and most certainly worth your ear time. This is highly stylized power pop/rock with lush harmonies and complex musical arrangements in the service of good songwriting. In the end, Gramophone Logic amounts to something truly special - a debut album that's melodic, addictive, confident and impressive.

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