Several of the first great discs of 2021 are highlighted in my column this week.
Title: Catspaw (Omnivore Recordings)
You might like if you enjoy: Tommy Keene, The Smithereens, Big Star
Tell me more: It's hard to believe, but Matthew Sweet's new album Catspaw is the power pop icon's fifteenth album. The good news is that the singer-songwriter/guitar great's newly-released disc bristles and soars like it's a hard-charging debut. In addition to his distinctive vocals and amazing songcraft, Sweet's edgy electric guitar work (frequently recalling Neil Young's freewheeling approach) takes center stage while Ric Menck's solid drumming holds down the rhythmic foundation throughout the dozen-track collection. Listening to the infectious "Give A Little," inspired "Challenge The Gods," tender "Hold On Tight," electrifying "At A Loss" and ambitious closer "Parade Of Lights" is to be reminded of how Sweet has an uncanny gift at fusing rock 'n'' roll instincts with showering melody and impressive musical chops to boot. Produced, recorded and mixed by Sweet at his home studio in Omaha, Nebraska, the artist handles rhythm and lead guitars, bass, piano and all lead and backing vocals on the masterwork. The lyrics here hit home as well, tackling the quest for life's meaning with artful candor. Information: MatthewSweet.com.
Title: Pete Yorn Sings The Classics (Shelly Music)
You might like if you enjoy: Crowded House, the Jayhawks, Pete Yorn
Tell me more: Singer-songwriter great Pete Yorn's wide range of influences are celebrated on his new aptly-titled Pete Yorn Sings The Classics, a 10-song set where the Los Angeles-based artist reworks well-known material into his own signature style. Among the bona fide delights on the disc are his shimmering take on The Stone Roses' "Ten Storey Love Song," a joyful version of Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay," yearning musical reading of the Tracey Ullman 1983 hit "They Don't Know," rootsy version of Simon and Garfunkel's "I Am A Rock" and a magic rendition of Roxy Music's "More Than This." Yorn closes out the disc with an evocative version of the Henry Mancini/Johnny Mercer classic "Moon River." To be sure, every cut on the album is fantastic and this listener would welcome a sequel! Of the selections Yorn says: "...these songs all have one thing in common...they all stopped me in my tracks upon first discovery, simply because I loved the way they made me feel. They compelled me to listen repetitively...almost compulsively over and over again." Information: PeteYorn.com.
Title: Threesome Vol. 2 (Stranger Danger Records and Tapes)
You might like if you enjoy: Jellyfish, Queen, Dada, Tears for Fears, XTC
Tell me more: The Lickerish Quartet has followed up their terrific debut EP Threesome Vol. 1 (released in May 2020) with the worthy follow-up Threesome Vol. 2. The new four-track EP again showcases a troupe able to perfectly fuse melodic power pop, art rock and intelligent lyrics with glorious results. Ex-Jellyfish members Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (Beck, Imperial Drag), Tim Smith (Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, the Finn Brothers) and Eric Dover (Imperial Drag, Slash's Snakepit) craft songs that enthrall with a single listen. The melodic opener "Do You Feel Better?," exhilarating "Sovereignty Blues," sweeping "The Dream That Took Me Over" and breakneck sortie "Snollyguster Goon" collectively make for a perfect listen. Information: TheLickerishQuartet.com.
Robert Kinsler
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