The Jellybricks - Power This - 2004

While the Jellybricks have always been considered a power pop band, their first two discs didn't immediately recall classic Beatle-isms so much as they sounded like a lot of catchy, guitar-driven indie rock of the late '90s. That all changes on their much-delayed third disc, Power This, which -- despite its title -- is their most sugary "pop" album yet. Producer Cliff Hillis gives Power This the same treatment he's used on his own albums -- the controlled bursts of chiming (but powerful) guitars and pounding drums are mixed up-front, but so are the vocals, lending everything a very clean and bright mix. And while guitarist Bryce Connor's songs are gruff and rocky, the lion's share of tunes -- sung by the band's main vocalist, the sweet-voiced Larry Kennedy -- are smoother than anything the band has yet produced. Like before, some of it doesn't stick on the first listen, but it's generally because these songs are full of little tricks and turns -- unusual turns of verse like in "Simple Me," or the gorgeous guitar solo on "Takes Too Long" -- that unfold on repeat listens. Power This, unlike Soap Opera or Kinky Boot Beast, sounds firmly like the work of power pop revivalists, and fans of the style should find much to love.-AMG

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