Hundred-word Reviews June 2025: Powerpop

Four recent releases in a decidedly powerpop vein. For those who enjoy that style, these guys all get it. All are recommended. And they’re available from Kool Kat Musik.

Yours & Mine – The Shadow You Cast
With a spirit that may remind listeners of Sugar crossed with Gin Blossoms, New York’s Yours & Mine combine a muscular uptempo power trio instrumental approach with chiming, melodic songcraft and heartfelt vocal delivery. A nice balance of oomph and jangle is the winning recipe for this collection of 12 sharply rendered, memorable songs. Yours & Mine displays consistency without sameness on these tracks; Greg Baldwin’s lyrics showcase a perspective of someone who’s lived and learned along the way. They’re equally credible on ballads (“The Here the Now”) and speedy would-be anthems (“Gimme Gimme Rock & Roll”). A fine set.

Ian M Bailey – Lost in a Sound
Opening track “Rooks” calls to mind both the groundbreaking British folk rock of Fairport Convention and some of Denny Laine’s Wings-era tracks. Bailey’s Lancashire roots shine brightly on these tracks; his version of country has more in common with, say, Brinsley Schwarz than Lefty Frizzell. There’s a contemplative vibe to these songs, one that – rather than feeling insular – draws the listener into Bailey’s world. His finely-honed vocals are supported by shimmering guitars that deliver (but never overpower) the melodies. The “big” yet never flashy production values of songs like “White Whale” provide just the right sonic context for his tunes.

Joe Giddings – Stories with Guitars
The title of Giddings’ latest album is so on-the-nose that one wonders why nobody’s used it before now. The title does suggest a kind of singer-songwriter character, but the sound here has much more to do with Raspberries and Cheap Trick. His multi-lead guitar approach suggests Thin Lizzy or Boston, but his lyrics – mentioning bands like Jellyfish – plant him in a later era. Giddings swings for the fences with his concise powerpop tunes, and more often than not, he hits it out of the park. His emotionally forthright lyrics hold up on close inspection; just witness “David Stepanski” for proof.

The Dynamo Hymn – s/t
The Zappaesque name notwithstanding, as soon as I popped in the disc, I recognized the warmly familiar sounds of three-fourths of Play This Intimately (As if Among Friends)-era Pugwash. Shaun McGee, Tosh Flood and Joe Fitzgerald backed Thomas Walsh on that album and tour. Not to take anything at all away from Thomas, but even without him they craft music of similar character, emotional depth and melodic quotient. In the same way that Wizzard and ELO were cut from similar cloth yet different, this trio makes scintillating and finely-crafted music that Pugwash fans simply cannot miss. Buy this record now.