Contributions
The Friday Night Boys - Off The Deep End
Off The Deep End [2.5/5] The Friday Night Boys take you on a colorful Ferris wheel-ride rife with breathless hooks and punchy pop rhythms polished to a blinding sheen. Their puppy-love romantic entanglements go ’round and ’round, and while they may not get anywhere, it can be a fun spin, provided you haven’t already done […]
The Summer Set - Love Like This
The Summer Set Love Like This Some moments are timeless, sealed in amber by circumstances never to be repeated. The debut LP by power-pop quintet the Summer Set suggests the final days of summer on the verge of high school, full of possibility, innocence and girl chasing. It’s light-hearted without being too lightweight or naive. […]
Jonah Matranga - And
Jonah Matranga And Some have mined the sumptuous ’70s singer/songwriter vibe effectively, but it’s a lot harder to pull off than the rustic cowboy act. While Jonah Matranga has shown a flair for translating a sweet, achy strum into tender confessionals, he’s demonstrated an equal penchant for pop grandiosity, which can quickly curdle to cheese. […]
The Rocket Summer - Do You Feel
The Rocket Summer Do You Feel Rocket Summer mastermind Bryce Avary merges Cheap Trick’s hard pop hooks, Dashboard Confessional’s earnestness and Roy Thomas Baker’s production ear on Do You Feel. Like Baker-producer of “Bohemian Rhapsody” before scoring big with Journey, Foreigner and the Cars-Avary has a gift for thickly stacked melodies that blend synth and […]