Midwest powerpoppers The Legal Matters are back with album number four. It's called "Lost At Sea," and I'd be lying if I said I was looking forward to this, as albums one through three had sadly eluded me. But while taking my morning scroll of the internet's good and bad, I noticed a quick blurb about the just released new record that intrigued me and so I went in. I am not disappointed.
There's more here than your usual power pop, a label that often gets under my skin. Actually, I don't mind the term "power pop" as much as I mind "the cult of power pop" and the relentless comparisons to Big Star, the Raspberries and Jellyfish in every press release. "Lost At Sea" sounds like none of that holy trinity. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't call this record "power pop" any more than I would call Crowded House or The Beach Boys or Cheap Trick or Andrew Gold power pop. Instead, "Lost At Sea" evokes the great lost days of brilliant record making. There are more hooks and goosebump inducing melodies to be found on "Lost At Sea" than in most bands' entire oeuvre.
From the ingenious chord changes of the opener "Everybody Knows" and the dreamy, Laurel Canyon harmonies on "Shake This Feeling," to the irresistible melody of "Stuck With Me" and the pure Brian Wilson bliss of "The Exit Signs," "Lost At Sea" continues to reward right into the deadwax of Side Two.
I don't want to deny the band their druthers if they want to be called power pop. Maybe the first three records owe more to Big Star and the Raspberries than the new one. I will find out soon, as I make my way backward. But I can now say, I am absolutely looking forward to hearing "Lost At Sea" again and again and again.
9 comments:
Great stuff. And BTW, I don't think power pop means Big Star/Raspberries in eternity. In fact, the first use of the term was in a review of the Who's "I Can See For Miles" in one of the British music papers. Or maybe Townshend coined it himself, I can't remember. In any event, those Legal Matters songs are killer. 😎
"I don't think power pop means Big Star/Raspberries in eternity."
I agree. That's my point. Too bad every press release about every band has to cite Big Star and Raspberries as a selling point.
Hey Steve, you prompted me to check out the Wikipedia page, which does indeed credit Pete Townsend with coining "power pop" (to promote "Pictures of Lily" actually). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_pop
Happy Birthday to the compact disc and CD player (out in the US on March 2, 1983), the first recording session for "Kind of Blue" (begun on March 2, 1959 and concluded on April 22), "King Kong" (debuting at Radio City Music Hall on March 2, 1933), Todd Rundgren's "A Wizard, A True Star" (on March 2, 1973 -- the man knew how to deliver a great birthday gift)...and to our fearless musical leader Sal!
I was going to mention this album to you as it's probably their best so far, but I wasn't sure if you were having a moritorium on "Power Pop" bands recently or not. :-)
Maybe a moratorium on just mediocre power pop bands. This record doesn't feel like power pop to me.
The vocals in particular are wonderful.
The Crowded House comparison is great. Not power pop - just great music. Thanks.
The previous three to this are very much worthy of your time. Great songwiting, musicianship and harmonies.
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