"Bandwagonesque" - Teenage Fanclub (released 1991)
Despite the cutout bin cover art this album is a great introduction to Teenage Fanclub. The band's third release is when their sound coalesced into the enticing, melodic, fuzzed out alternative power pop style which they've been subtly refining ever since. The Bellshill, Scotland quartet is made up of four singer/songwriters with the majority of songs written by Norman Blake (guitar, vocals) and Gerard Love (bass, vocals). Raymond McGinley (guitar, vocals) and Brendan O'Hare (drums, vocals) each have one tune on this remarkable album. Piled high with catchy melodies and wistful harmonies the Fannies are often favorably compared to the legendary Big Star. The album kicks off with a squall of feedback that transforms into the flowing radiance of "The Concept". From the lyrical beauty of "December" and "Sidewinder" to the charging pop of " Star Sign" and "What You Do to Me" guitar distortion has never sounded so sublime! "I Don't Know" features a recurring knee-buckling guitar riff that propels this track to the next level. "Metal Baby" contributes plenty of sugary crunch while "Pet Rock" rocks hard leading to an intense guitar outro. "Alcoholiday" starts with another pretty melody and eventually unfolds into some outstanding six-string interplay that I wish lasted another ten minutes! "Is This Music?" provides the album with a joyously pulsating instrumental for a finale, and there you have it - a superb collection of songs brilliantly arranged and performed! Teenage Fanclub are one of the most consistently excellent bands in Rock history and this is exhibit A.
"Future Me Hates Me" - The Beths (released 2018)
The remote island country of New Zealand has a surprising history of producing some of the finest indie guitar pop groups around including; The Bats, The Chills, Crowded House and the Mutton Birds among many others. With this potent combination of brilliantly crafted songs and guitar punch the Beths debut album proudly carries on this tradition! The band is led by singer/songwriter Elizabeth Stokes whose clarion voice carries every song and provides an undeniable charm to this record. The album revolves around heartbreak and failed relationships which is evident even in the title. It's this dichotomy with the bright upbeat instrumentation and the band's fresh energy that keeps these songs happily stuck in your head! Jonathan Pearce (guitar, vocals, producer), Benjamin Sinclair (bass, vocals) and Ivan Lukatina-Johnston (drums) provide the perfect base for Stoke's sunny lilting voice. Many of the tunes feature the soft/loud dynamic found in so many great rock bands (Nirvana, Pixies) but the transition is so seamless all you remember are the catchy hooks that pile up like so much spun gold in the verses and choruses. Some of my favorites on the record are "Little Death", "You Wouldn't Like Me", "Great No One" and the title track, but honestly every one of the ten tracks is faultless. Each year you hope to hear a great new band that becomes a favorite and in 2018 we lucked into the Beths!
