Four Lights - Kobayashi Maru

Four Lights are a pop punk band from Seattle. Kobayasi Maru is their second record. The band's music falls somewhere between power pop and punk-pop. The emphasis is more weighted towards pop than either punk or power with tight harmonies. The press sheet mentions a Weezer influence and that band definitely comes through in "Characters" and "Scene of The Crime". However, this whole album is about as punk and, for that matter, about as pop as The Goo Goo Dolls have been since they got a song in a Meg Ryan movie (check out their "Hold Me Up" and "Superstar Wash" albums for when they peaked musically).



Record Label: North AmericaBomb Pop Europe: Stardumb



Despite my complaints, the catchiness of most the songs on Kobayasi Maru is undeniable but this album feels too long as too many of the songs just blend together. Four Lights claim to love nerd culture and be pop punk but anyone hoping Four Lights used "Milo Goes to College" as a blueprint is heading for a disappointment. To be fair to Four Lights, the most appealing songs on "Kobayashi Maru" are songs that run over the three minute mark. "Jimmy's Song Part 2" and "Characters". In these tunes, Four Lights really put themselves across as tight and accomplished songwriters.





If emo or Weezer excites you, then "Kobayashi Maru" will be for you. Now, where is that nomeansno album?

2.5/5

Release Date: 20 April 2018



Four Lights on bandcamp



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Transient Songs - Stealing Sand

Seattle based bandTransient Songs are back. We reviewed their debut album "Cave Syndrome" way back when and made comparisons to a couple of Australia's finest 80's pop rock bands The Church and The Go-Betweens. The title track of the album starts with the lyrics "She rose up" and it's eerie just how much this tune sounds like Grant McLennan penned and sings this well-crafted pop ditty. "Shopping for Coffins" is a little touched by the psychedelic pop of The Church and this reviewer once again finds it difficult not to think of Steve Kilbey and Grant McLennan's Jack Frost project.

If you're scared of ghosts then avoid this album because the spirit of Mr GW Mclennan is everywhere on this release that it sends shivers down the spine. The press kit makes a comparison to the Afghan Whigs but it's hard to hear similarities other than strong melodic songs. I'd strongly recommended to fans of The Go-Betweens and The Church. If you were looking forward to another Grant McLennan solo outing this should suffice nicely so you can grab this album when it comes out on August 8, 2017.

3.5/5

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Songs for Snakes "The Year of The Snake"

 San Francisco melodic punk rock band, Songs For Snakes are back with a new album.  The Husker Du and Jawbreaker influences are still shine clear.  The band's knack of writing tight catchy songs certainly hasn't disappeared.


There's a Simon and Garfunkel fights 90's Epitaph pop punk and wins feel to "Small Talker".  In case you were wondering, this is actually a good thing.  "A Perfect State" has Husker Du written all over it.  A poppy indie feel washes over "A Caffiene Sugar Mean"  due to the jangly guitars coupled with the bouncy rhythms.  For my money, album closer and title song, "The Year of The Snake" is the highlight of the album.


Although as an album "The Year of The Snake" is a good listen it's difficult to shake the feeling that there are too many songs on offer here and it'd have been a much stronger album if about three songs had been cut.

3.5/5

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Dot Dash "Half-Remembered Dream"

((the beautiful music)

All music fans have some genre which they consider to be a dirty word.  For some, it's metal or pop music and others often get more specific with sub-genre dislikes.  If you're silly enough to consider power pop a genre that should be passed by then you might want to skip this band and review.


A year's not quite passed by and Dot Dash's follow-up to "Winter Garden Light" is here.  Most people would expect a band to have an identifiable sound by their third album and Dot Dash definitely have stamped their own sound identity.    There's no denying that they're still a US band who sound like a UK band due to their influences and Dot Dash's core sound remains power pop.


On the band's previous outing one song sounded like  Echo and The Bunnymen vocally but it is much more difficult to pick vocal comparisons this time around.  Terry Banks' singing will be recognizable as his own to people who have heard Dot Dash's previous release.   Comparisons to The Smiths will doubtlessly be made by many who hear this album due to the guitar playing and even that band's often overlooked rythm section.


"The Hands of Time" is a laid back catchy number that combines Johnny Marr guitar with a tune with an opening melody, which a young Paul McCartney would be proud of .      "The Sound in Shells" recalls The Dream Academy's best known moment although the guitars resonate much louder through Dot Dash's tune.    The previous album had a fast punk style song in "The Past is Another Country" and this album's equivalent is the Buzzcocks fashioned quick burner.   It's not all UK as  "Do Re Mi"  nods to Australia as it's one of those perfect pop songs that The Go-Betweens were writing during the 80's.

The theme of time slipping away runs throughout the lyrics and that brings the main complaint of the album.  "Half-Remembered Dream" just passes by too quickly.

4.5/5

The entire album can be heard on Dot Dash's bandcamp site.

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Research Turtles - Mankiller Part Two

Louisiana power popsters, The Research Turtles have returned with a follow-up to their Mankiller EP, which found favour on this blog. The band have released another group of songs and put them together on a release entitled "Mankiller Part Two".

The Research Turtles strength on their previous releases was their strong harmonies, steady drumming combined with strong songwriting. The turtles mine pop from both the sixties and the eighties. The first and last song leave little doubt that these guys are huge Byrds fans. Much of the meat in the sandwich is tight pop with 4/4 drumming. It's difficult to listen "The Fancy" and not think of The Cars as the band share a similar sensibility for catchy hooks that draw a listener in for further listens. "Break It Up" has a headbobbing rhythm reminiscent of The Knack. There's a high sugar content in "Into You", which is to expected in almost any songs with the lyrics, "Baby, it's true." You'd also expect syrupy harmonies and they're there too. This is possibly a top 40 song and the only reason I say possibly is because I haven't paid attentio to any music charts for years. "What Can I Say" may draw Oasis comparisons due to the Beatlesque guitar and melodies but there's a bit of America that creeps in there too in the form of the Beach Boys which comes through in the hoo hoo's. "Space" is my pick of the bunch from Mankiller Part Two" as it grabs with a garage rock approach built around the rythm section and a strong sing along chorus.


Anyone who tells you sequels can't be better than the original has never sat through Empire Strikes Back or Gremlins 2. However Mankiller Part Two isn't better than the original but it's about the same which is still damned good.

4/5

The EP can be downloaded from the band's website.


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Dot Dash - Winter Garden Light

Regular readers of this podunk blog might recall that a while back I posted "Learn to Fly" by Wahington DC band, Dot Dash and compared the song to The Cure. That was the only song from the band's debut that found its way into my ear canals however the band were recently in touch and let me know about their sophomore effort, "Winter Garden Light".

The band have the sound of a London post-punk band to the point that it's not difficult to imagine them sharing a stage with The Dissociates, because both bands share that early eighties English sound yet manage to sound fresh along with hooks so catchy they could land a whale. While listening to "Winter Garden Light" band comparisons don't easily come which is no bad thing, although album closer,"Devil's Road" is reminiscent of Ian McCulloch's solo debut, but my guess is that if you own albums by The Jam, Echo and The Bunnymen, The Smiths, The Cure and even Straitjacket Fits then this is an album well worth investigating. Winter Garden Light is a shining beacon in a ravaging storm and a likely candidate for album of the year.

4.5/5



Investigate their bandcamp.


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