Pyramidiacs - Teeter Totter - 1996

Characterized by a upbeat power-pop feel, the Pyramidiacs sound has remained consistent since the group's 1988 origins. Based in the Sydney suburb of Fairfield, Australia, the original line-up of Eddie Owen (guitar/ vocals), Bob Susnjara (bass/ vocals) and Mickster Baty (drums) took upon a musical idolization for the Replacements, Teenage Fanclub, Big Star and Matthew Sweet. With the 1992 addition of guitarist Mick O'Regan, the Pyramidiacs would eventually release a slew of singles and compilation tracks before their 1993 full-length debut, Don't Wish It. The following year saw the Pyramidiacs' second album, All You Want, released through Pink Flamingo Records before their 1995 European tour. The group's third album, Teeter Totter, came out in 1996 courtesy of Ranezz Records. -AMG

Mike Shupp - This Time - 2002

This album is teeming with catchy melodies and sweet pop/rock arrangements. From the opening notes of the title track or the shimmering "All Over Town," Mike Shupp resembles a cross between Tom Petty and Michael Stipe as drummer Chris Zogby propels the music forward. Another asset is how the musician eliminates any needless guitar solos or sonic slack. "I'm having trouble knowing lately who I am," Shupp sings on "Came to This," but given his penchant for tight arrangements that teeter toward lo-fi alternative rock, he knows what he wants musically. A track such as "Another Life" has been done literally thousands of times, but Shupp gives it a certain warmth courtesy of his delivery and better than average lyrics. Fans of the Replacements All Shook Down album should find comfort in much of the record, especially the adorable twang emanating from "Set Me Free." "Good Again" is probably the best track simply because it offers up a slightly looser feel and some simplistic Keith Richards riffs. The exception to the album is the somber and melancholic groove on "Forgiven," a tune that takes a while to find its footing. But "She'll Come Around" steers the record back on track. Although This Time has one or two slight drawbacks, the album is extremely well done. -AMG

Interview: Dave Birk, Creator of Speed Queen Mystery Date, Airs Out His Dirty Laundry Pt1.

[This is part one of an interview with Dave Birk, singer-songwriter and creator of Speed Queen Mystery Date. You can read part two by going to Carolina Orange by clicking here.]

1) This being your first LP (or am I wrong?), it begs the question...what events led up to this point? What was the impetus for recording Speed Queen Mystery Date now?

I've been writing and recording for years - put out some demos, shared songs with family and friends, and helped others with their musical pursuits. A CD of my own was always 'in the making' -- but kinda like a cake with the oven temp set too low, I never moved it past the dream phase. And, as a songwriter, the next song is always your best so I never really felt I was arriving with a summary body of work that I would categorize as 'good enough.'
Then, in 2010 and early 2011, I had a few things converge that really prompted me to make this record. While producing an EP for an awesome local band, Circle of Heat, I took a look in the rear view mirror at all the bands, musicians and theatres that I had helped over the years with music production, songwriting and recording. Considering any one of those efforts didn't seem like a great feat, but considering the whole body of work affirmed my musical sensibilities and gave me a definite sense of accomplishment and credibility. Around that same time I got involved with a music experience called Rock Camp for Dads (rockcampfordads.com), that provides a month-long, guided experience for 'campers' to form a band with a performance at the end of the month. I was in two bands: Trunk Bunnies (vocals and bass) and Hotdish Suicide (vocals and drums), performing at venerable Minneapolis music venues - Bunkers, Famous Dave's Blues Club, and the Hard Rock Cafe. That really energized me, while at the same time found me performing cover songs rather than my own. Finally, my employer ended up downsizing, which resulted in my having one of those blessing-in-disguise moments that freed up a big chunk of time that I could dedicate to make this CD a reality. Having great support from my amazing wife, Jill, sealed the deal on working to make this all happen. Originally planned as a 4-song EP, the songs sounded so great and the process was so fun that I knew I had to pursue recording a full-length CD.

2) Is there a discipline to the way you write or does inspiration just show up unannounced?

Pat Pattison will tell you that inspiration is the distance between your (behind) and the seat upon which you do your songwriting - and I agree with that philosophy. Pushing myself to write new material to grow the EP to the full-length album really proved out how sitting down, focusing and working turns out stronger results. That said, most of my songs, at least the initial spark, spring from my heart from a lyric and melody that just pop out. Then I work and work them to build them out, trying to find the creative twists and turns and make them into whole songs. Lots and lots of ideas end up as fragments in files that may never see the light of day again, but some will hang around in my subconscious and help write themselves over time. Finally, for any aspiring songwriters out there, I will add that a lot of my ideas come from really seeing myself as a songwriter and constantly being engaged looking and listening for ideas, finding new ways to say things, trying to find more than one meaning in words and phrases. That feeds and tunes the creative engines so that the process flows rather than being a chore - certainly it is still difficult, but every song brings a unique challenge and opportunity to learn and grow.

3) How much of Speed Queen Mystery Date is autobiographical, if any at all (I'm thinking particularly of "Country Music", as song on the LP that I particularly relate to)?

All of my songs have varying levels of autobiographical connection, but it is hard to say how much in each song. Sometimes the sentiment is based on my life with the story is mostly disconnected. For example, the title of "Roller Coaster of Love, Hate and Tenderness" was how I described my wife's reaction to my motorcycle accident. Her last words before my ride were something like to be careful and I need you. Then I ride off and end up crashing the bike when I'm doing like sixty. So her first retraction is that she's glad I'm alive, followed by a serious scolding and eternal moratorium on motorcycles, followed by lots of gentle caring. The song, however, is about a boy/girl relationship, which I've ultimately decided is a metaphor of how life can takes through some extreme ups-and-downs and spins-us-arounds.
Then, there's Sleeping Beauty that I originally wrote as a poem for my wife, so that is 100% autobiographical. And I knew a Jody with red hair, green eyes and mysterious smile, walked with a little limp and was cool, but the rest of the song simply builds around that.
Funny thing is, my wife thinks that all my songs are about her - or at least worries that everyone who hears them will think they are about her, but they're not. Each song has its own life, regardless of how much of 'me' is in it.

4) You used Kickestarter to raise the necessary funds to record Speed Queen Mystery Date. How would you describe the experience and how were you able to record a great sounding LP on a shoestring budget? Did you use any unusual enticements to get folks to donate?

The entire Kickstarter experience was great and is the reason I was able to finance the making of a full-length CD. The encouragement I received from the backers was the greatest thing - having a bunch of friends and family cheering for you, believing in you, and being genuinely interested in what you will create. My personal mission statement is to create and encourage and support other artists, so that makes Kickstarter even that much cooler to me.
I never anticipated how much personal marketing I would still need to do to get the word out, remind people, and remind people some more. I felt bad about bugging people as I don't like begging or twisting arms, but at the same time I had already recorded 4 songs that I knew were really good and super fun to listen to and I wanted people to join in that journey with me. It was worth all the midnight emails.
The rewards for my kickstarter project focused on a laundry theme to connect with the premise of "Speed Queen Mystery Date" and also sought to showcase and support artist friends. The most creative thing I offered was the stray sock adoption program. You know how every time you do the wash you end up with at least one sock without a match, well, we save them in a box. So, with help from my daughters, my sister and my niece we turned them into sock puppets, complete with adoption certificates. It was great fun. I also gave CDs from the various bands the musicians play in and original art from artist friends of mine (abstract photos, hand-bound journals, and textile art).

You can find Dave and his fine CD, Speed Queen Mystery Date, at his BandCamp page HERE.
If that doesn't suit you for some reason, Try iTunes or Amazon.com.

Free 10th anniversary download of Bigger Lovers' 2nd album 'Honey in the Hive'

Howdy folks -


Patrick Berkery, drummer from The Bigger Lovers here.

As you may or may not know, our 2nd album, 'Honey in the Hive,' was released 10 years ago today: Aug. 27, 2002.

To mark the occasion, we are offering the album as a free download (or a pay-what-you-want deal for those that feel really strongly about such matters) until the end of the week. Download it here.

To further mark the occasion, we are playing the album in its entirety live at Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia on Sat., Sept. 8. Tickets here.

Thanks!

Redd Kross - Third Eye - 1990

Redd Kross reached its peak in the early '80s, when the band made such humorous and clever contributions to punk rock as "Linda Blair." As the '80s progressed, Kross got away from punk and went for cleaner, less reckless alternative rock and power-pop. Those who play 1990's Third Eye next to Kross' early recordings will hear just how radically the band changed over the years. Whether rocking aggressively on "Shonen Knife," going for a very melodic "jangly guitar" approach on "Annie's Gone" and "I Don't Know How to Be Your Friend" or sounding positively Beatlesque on "Bubblegum Factory," Kross shows just how far it has come since the irreverent, freewheeling aggression of "Linda Blair." While some punk enthusiasts missed the old Kross, this decent though not outstanding album proves that the band was still worthwhile at the dawn of the '90s. - AMG

Neats - Neats - 1983

Formed in 1979, the Neats were one of the great enigmas in Boston's fertile 1980s club scene. During these years, one did not have to look far for a bill that might include any combination of the roots-rocking Del Fuegos, the Nuggets garage rock-worshipping Lyres, and the drunken hardcore punk slamming of Gang Green. the Neats were yet another item altogether; a decidedly collegiate group of clean-cut, straight-faced brooding guys who played evocative and melancholy music that encompassed the pre-psychedelic1960s-era folk-rock of the Seekers, Baroque pop of the Left Banke and the Zombies, and the bluesy moods of the early Rolling Stones and Them.
Their closest contemporary American cousins were bands like the Feelies, Dream Syndicate, and the band they often shared a national bill with, early R.E.M. They also had a kinship with New Zealand pop outfits like the Clean and even British groups like Echo and the Bunnymen -- though without the high level of romantic drama of the latter; the drama of the Neats was manifested in a more introspective and subdued manner. Like those bands, on their first EP, The Monkey's Head in the Corner of the Room (1982), and debut LP, Neats (1983), the Neats favored clean guitar swaths, ebbing and flowing washes of strummed rhythms, and single-note melody lines over traditional improvised soloing. Always there was a melancholy sort of punk rock edge shadowing the music, a feel and sound that somehow links to a Boston tradition that can be traced through such bands as Mission of Burma to Galaxy 500 and beyond. -AMG

Wheres Curty Ray?

Life has kinda caught up with me , but have no fear, Power Pop Overdose is still alive and well. Between work and family concerns I have not been able to give 100% to PPO. I am sorry. I will be back to posting soon, be patient.

Curty Ray

A Message From Tim Lee

On Friday, June 15, my fellow Windbreakers co-founder Bobby Sutliff was involved in a bad single-vehicle accident near his home in Powell, Ohio. He sustained several serious injuries, and as of early July was still in the SICU at the Ohio State University hospital. Due to the severity of his wounds, Bobby faces a very long uphill climb to recovery.


Fortunately, he has good health insurance through his employer, but he faces many months of recuperation, and thus will require some very real help with his living expenses and other expenditures.
Toward that end, we have undertaken a couple of fundraising measures, starting with a Chipin account where Bobby’s friends and fans can donate to the cause. A tribute record of other artists covering his songs is also in the works, and more information about that will be made available in the coming days.



Whether you know Bobby personally or through his music, we request that you donate what you can to help a beloved musician and friend in his time of need.Also, please share this page with your friends. Bobby needs all the assistance he can get.
Thank you, Tim Lee

The Tearaways - Ground's the Limit - 1997

While the Tearaways could've easily faded into power pop oblivion, their charming, ringing power pop came to the attention of some of the right people. Especially notable is that the haunting "Jessica Something" was included in Rhino's genre-defining Poptopia series of power pop classics of the '70s, '80s, and '90s, even though the Tearaways were still relative unknowns. It endeared them to the right audience: The rabidly cult following of power pop leeched on and this album became a bit of a left-field hit. The Tearaways' sound is obviously indebted to '80s jangle pop -- especially Let's Active and the dB's, but their alternately haunting and punchy pop songs have charm that's all their own. "Jessica Something" is certainly not the only highlight: As the rocking "For Free" or ringing "I Can't Get Through" prove, the Tearaways certainly have quite a few good songs in them. -AMG

This Perfect Day - Don't Smile - 1995

After a somewhat lackluster sophomore release, This Perfect Day rebounded with the critically successful (albeit commercially slow) Don't Smile. While it was only released in the band's native Sweden, there's a ton to love here, especially for fans. Opening with the fuzzed-out, over the top "Flamingo," a song dripping with smooth vocal harmonies and a crashing guitar solo, the band barely relents throughout. The guitars are turned up to the max on every track, completely washing the ten-song cycle in distortion and feedback. The effect is tremendous, as quick comparisons could easily be made to other excellent discs like Oasis' Definitely Maybe, Matthew Sweet's 100% Fun, and Silver Sun's self-titled debut. Album highlights also include the sizzling single "It's a Shame" and the summery title track. -AMG

Marty Graveyard's new album 'Summer Holiday' due June 21st

The Madd's former drummer /songwriter is about to release his first solo album. Summer Holiday will be released by V2 Records on the first day of Summer, that's June 21! You can bet that it will be filled with relentlessly catchy, hook-laden, guitar driven power pop. What a great way to start out a summer that is sure to be filled with great music. Summer Holiday will be available at V2 Records and other fine music outlets. PPO will keep you up to date on this one. And also,.. Don't forget to like Marty Graveyard on Facebook!

Stream The New dB's album now

Get ready! Power-pop legends the dB's will be releasing their first full length album in 25 years. It’s also the first in three decades to feature the band’s original lineup of singer/songwriter/guitarists Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey, bassist Gene Holder and drummer Will Rigby, the same lineup that recorded the beloved early-’80s classics Stands for deciBels and Repercussion
The dB's new album is due out June 12th but you can stream it now.  Can't miss top ten for 2012!

Hal - Hal - 2005

Hal are destined to be compared to the Thrills: both groups are from Ireland; both are purveyors of ultra-hooky, dramatic vocal harmony-drenched tunes with a West Coat slant; and both are very, very good. Once you get past the surface comparisons, though, there are enough differences to reduce the similarities to a happy coincidence. Hal certainly aren't ripping off the Thrills; there is far too much exuberance and excitement on their debut album for them to be written off as mere imitators. They lack the pretension and arch concept of the Thrills; they also have more emotional depth and a more relaxed feel. Besides, they just might be better anyway. The first two songs give the Thrills and just about anyone else a serious run: "What a Lovely Dance" is a chiming mini-epic that encompasses walls of guitars, humming synthesizers and organs, lyrics about lost mittens and messed-up hair, spiraling falsetto harmonies, and a totally alive sound that feels like you have your fingers knuckle deep in a light socket, and the Edwyn Collins-produced "Play the Hits" is a star-spangled blast of sunshine and manic energy that is hard to listen to without picturing Hal racing around like the Monkees on the beach as brothers Dave and Paul Allen croon and careen through wall of bells, maracas, and Motown guitars. The rest of the record is no real letdown either, as the Allens' vocals are a constant treat and the group proves itself equally adept at laid-back ballads that utilize subtle string arrangements (the aching "Keep Love As Your Golden Rule," "I Sat Down"); gentle, summery rockers ("Don't Come Running," the falsetto-drenched "Fools By Your Side"); and even arena-friendly soft rock ballads (the weighty "Worry About the Wind," which shows bands like Coldplay that you can be serious and deep without being boring). Echoes of the Beatles, Harry Nilsson, the Beach Boys, and Phil Spector are everywhere, and while those aren't exactly unique or even very interesting reference points in 2005, Hal again go beyond imitation and use their influences as a good band should, as guides and not blueprints. Hal really sound like another in the long line of melodic bands from the British Isles that has been dazzling music fans since the late '90s -- think Super Furry Animals, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, and (again, in case you forgot) the Thrills. Add some American groups like Mercury Rev at their poppiest and a choir-less Polyphonic Spree, or Canadians like the Heavy Blinkers, and if that list sounds like your record collection, you shouldn't think twice about adding Hal. They'll be stuck in your CD player for weeks, guaranteed. -AMG

Music of note

Don't forget that Dan Kibler's jangly and twangly (with some pedal steel flourishes sprinkled about), self-titled Kool Kat debut is available now. It is definitely a contender for the 2012 PPo top 10! Also this comes with a cool bonus when you order it from Kool Kat. Tell 'em Curty Ray sent ya...

Bill Lloyd has released a video from his excellent new album (which should also make the 2012 PPO Top 10)"Boy King Of Tokyo ". Enjoy the video then go get the disc here, here or here. You will not be dissappointed.



Massachusetts poppers Hot Molasses have a new EP that is worth a listen and it is free! Check it out.



"POWER POP PRIME - Volume 1" is available and shipping. This special book comes with a limited edition physical 15-song CD that will ship with the book, featuring tracks from The Shazam, Bill Lloyd & The Sky Kings, The Spongetones, DM3, Myracle Brah, The Nines, The Mockers, Splitsvilly, Cockeyed Ghost, The Gladhands, Walter Clevenger & The Dairy Kings, Kenny Howes, Sun Sawed In /12 and Ken Sharp.

(If you order by June 7th, Bruce will send you a special link to download 20 out of print songs from the Not Lame label catalogs - even if you were a hardcore fan of the label, there will be some you have not heard...)

To order "Volume 1" - Click here and if you missed the other two books in the series, maybe you can still get a copy by getting in touch with Bruce here.

Here is the premiere of the new Little Barrie video “Tip It Over” from King of The Waves. Click here for upcoming tour dates.





As always, thanks for being a PPO Junkie!

Curty Ray

Michael Carpenter - Hopefulness - 2001

Michael Carpenter's debut album Baby was a stunningly diverse collection of good rock & roll and, most importantly, good production. Carpenter is, first and foremost, a producer; so not only are the songs important, but the execution matters for every bit as much. That's why Baby succeeded, and why ultimately Hopefulness does too. Carpenter's second solo album is a concept album -- of sorts. The set of 12 tracks is lyrically and thematically all tied to Carpenter's recent marriage. On paper, that sounds forced and terribly sappy, of course, but when listening to the actual album, the emotion comes through. Carpenter has had little trouble showing affection for what he loves; his influences are worn on his sleeve, and now he doesn't hide his emotions about his marriage, either. It's hardly typical rock music fodder -- no fast, red sports cars, no "hot girls in love" as Loverboy once sang about -- just one contented, honest songwriter who wants to invite all his fans to his wedding reception, via this CD. Carpenter does get that intimate with the listener, too, and that's why this is such a warm and inviting listen. Those who were intrigued by Baby may find there's a lot to love here: the opening "Kailee Anne" sounds a lot like early Joe Jackson, and the rollicking anthem "Faith" would not have been out of place on the debut. The album is mellower than Baby, too, and this does produce mixed results -- but there is not enough of a reinvention here to possibly scare away anyone impressed with Carpenter's prior work. To round out the album, Carpenter throws in two excellent covers: one of the Beach Boys' rocker "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone" and Sam Cooke's "Wonderful World." -AMG

New Americans - New Americans - 2000

True blue, American-as-apple-pie music isn’t always easy to come by in a pop scene where many try as hard as they possibly can to sound British, but the exciting new duo of Dan Touhy and Casey Fundaro, aka New Americans, dish it up quite nicely on their debut, eight-song effort. Eschewing typical power poppin’ soundscapes for a more singer-songwritery Approach—think what might have occurred had Seals left Crofts in ’71 and hooked up with Jimmy Webb and Gene Clark for an LP’s worth of musical fun and frolic—Touhy and Fundaro pretty much hit the nail on the head every time out on New Americans. From the plaintive love song “Anna” to the jaunty “Comin’ to an End” and the lyrically bitter (yet hummable) “So Alone,” everything works. Touhy’s no-frills lead vocals suit the material to a tee, while Fundaro provides some nifty background vocal parts (his eerie falsetto bkg’s on the beautiful, heartfelt ode to a loved one who has passed, “Looking Down,” may be the finest moment on the disc). Awash with deeply felt lyrics, 12 string guitars and songs that stick, New Americans is  certainly a promising debut. -John M. Borack, Alan Haber's Pure Pop

Veteran popper Dan Kibler makes his Kool Kat label debut with a terrific, guitar-filled, roots pop effort!

Dan's jangly and twangly (with some pedal steel flourishes sprinkled about), self-titled Kool Kat debut was co-produced by Michael Giblin (Cherry Twister/Parallex Project). Michael also plays bass and keyboards on the record. The record merges a pop/alternative air with traditional, straight from the heart, no chaser, country heartbreak. It's masterful, and it's original. This is guitar-entwined, roots pop at its finest folks! Dan is capable of taking a simple melody and infusing his heart felt lyrics with bite. Timeless sounds abound here, driven by Dan's gorgeously rough-hewn vocals, the thousand pound chops of the guitar-wielding Dan and John Fritchey, and the classy rhythm section of Giblin and Tony Melchoirre. "The razor sharp pop that forms the backdrop for his melancholy musings lingered for weeks after the first listen!" - Music Reviews Quarterly "His twin gifts are his hickory-smoked vocals and songwriting perched smartly in between introspection and sing-along popcraft." - Option Magazine "His music is rootsy as hell, but without any real or imagined Southern accent." - MOJO Magazine "I believe than Dan is a great creative talent who seems to get better with age. His thing is intense emotion, and he channels it through a great voice that gives his songs such texture. He lets you hear it in the way he can sing with a cracked, angelic grace over waves of guitar electricity, all nicely played with conviction by a great, backing band!" - Max Humphries Includes an extremely cool cover of The Zombies' "I Can't Make Up My Mind"!

RELEASED ON JUNE 4. ACCEPTING PRE-ORDERS NOW! Follow this link to order

COMES WITH AN EXCLUSIVE 9-SONG BONUS DISC - "WHAT'LL IT BE: A DAN KIBLER MIXTAPE" - COMPILED BY DAN HIMSELF - FEATURING TRACKS FROM HIS TWO OUT-OF-PRINT BIG DEAL RECORDS RELEASES ("CAPSULE" AND "HAUNTED") AND HIS "FOREVERAGO" RELEASE!

Pyramidiacs - Teenage Complications - 1998

From one of Australia`s very best pop bands....don`t be confused as it was called "Teenage Complications" but a legal hassle changed the name. Their third time hits the mark stronger than their previous two CDs, `All You Can` and `Teeter Totter` (both available, limited copies of All You Can, tho). Both of those CD`s were consistent displays of their influences (basically, any band who ever played a Rickenbacker!!) and you`d be none the worse to own them, but if you don`t own any, then this is THE place to begin. Strummed to "10" and into the red 12-stringed chiming, their sound is distinctively Australian, echoing the classic strains of The Mad Turks and Someloves and merging them with Teenage Fanclub and Material Issue. "Fans of Teenage Fanclub, fans of The Chevelles, fans of DM3 and all power pop fans in general...this album is a MUST for your collection!"-Amplifier. " It`s not often you run across an album with such consistency, but this is one of those records you`ll never tire of. A living textbook of the modern power pop form" -Big O. Driving, propulsive rhythms and crystalline production make their gritty-ish, but clean take on the POWER in POP one of the best examples of the genre around. Stunningly and grippingly recommended to put at the top of any want list, it`s that good. -Not Lame

Pugwash - Jollity - 2005

Released in Ireland on September 23rd 2005 Jollity was an instant hit with the press and public alike, becoming The Pugs most successful release to date. 4 and 5 star reviews abound (Irish Times, Hot Press, Evening Herald) the band set out on a promotional jaunt around their native land with a unique power-house 3 piece plus I-Pod set up. The culmination of which was a packed Monday night gig in Dublin’s famous Whelans venue.
Jollity is jam-packed with jelly pop, baroque sensibilities and mellow whimsy. Featuring the band and friends alongside legends of the pop/rock genre such as Dave Gregory and Eric Matthews  -pugwashtheband.com

Kimberley Rew - Tunnel into Summer - 2000

If you had to predict what a Kimberley Rew solo album would sound like (and this one is his formal debut, discounting the 1982 compilation The Bible of Bop), based on his tenure in the Soft Boys and Katrina and the Waves you would figure that it would contain some good songs -- this is the man who wrote "Walking on Sunshine" and "Going Down to Liverpool" -- and have some good, chiming guitar playing. But, since Rew took a back seat to Robyn Hitchcock in the Soft Boys and to Katrina Leskanich in Katrina and the Waves, you might expect that he wouldn't be much of a singer or frontman. The surprise of Tunnel Into Summer, therefore, is that he turns out to be an entirely competent singer, sounding like a somewhat more engaged Hitchcock with his pronounced English accent. He doesn't have the presence as a singer that experience gives you, but he has no trouble carrying a tune, and he sings his own lyrics enthusiastically. Not surprisingly, the other elements in his music are in place: the guitars do dominate the pop/rock arrangements, and they ring out pleasantly; and there are several excellent songs. There may not be any hits in the making like "Walking on Sunshine," but the catchy opening number, "Simple Pleasures," and "Plas yn Rhiw" (a British geography title as unfriendly to American ears as Paul McCartney's "Mull of Kintyre") deserve to join the short list of the songwriter's best efforts. Also not surprising is that, as a solo artist, Rew splits the difference in terms of style between his two major group affiliations. His solo music recalls the work of the Soft Boys and Hitchcock's solo work, and given that ex-Soft Boy Andy Metcalfe produced and played on many of the tracks and that Hitchcock also guested on a few, that's to be expected. But Rew is not interested in the same lyrical conundrums that Hitchcock explores so obsessively. His writing is optimistic, not convoluted, which recalls the more overtly pop songs he contributed to Katrina and the Waves. It may be that the result won't quite please Hitchcock or Katrina fans, but with this release Rew deserves to start gathering some fans of his own. -AMG