Myracle Brah - Super Automatic - 2002

Lead singer Andy Bopp certainly has a good idea of what makes three-minute power pop songs shine and evolve into gems. "Isn't It a Crime," the leadoff track, is a lovable and infectious song with all of the appropriate chords struck in the ideal places. A Beatles vibe works its way throughout "Albert S. Hand," especially the Eastern influences and assorted backward or subliminal sounds. Bopp's voice resembles John Lennon in an almost uncanny fashion. "Message '78" only builds on this foundation, but with more emphasis placed on the melody and backing vocals. One difficulty with the opening songs is how stellar they are both lyrically and structurally. "I'd Rather Be" is an early nominee for best song here, a straightforward power pop track. When Bopp strays into soppy pop ballads in "When She Cries," it still works but isn't quite as effective. A few of the songs don't realize full potential, especially "Action Reaction." But Bopp's vocal theatrics complement the guitar work during "Good Day to The Night." Song on the album's second half tend to gather steam only at the chorus, evoking influences of the Kinks circa "Milk Cow Blues" on "Loli La Letta." There is a hue of dream or psychedelic pop on "Inside of You," but the tune fails to keep one's attention for long. One disappointment is one of two bonus tracks, the tension-building "The Way You Are." Unfortunately, the initial buildup drops off to a rather bland tune. Nonetheless, the album lives up to its power pop expectations. -AMG

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