This week's show is the real deal, complete with the hip shaking you want, and the head banging you need.
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James Clark Institute -- Yellow (2021)
Go Mod Go -- She Was Good (2021)
Fay Hallam -- Rays Of Light (2021)
Rinaldi Sings -- Footprints In The Sand (2021)
Eli Paperboy Reed -- News You Can Use (2019)
Ian M Bailey -- I'm Not The Enemy (2021)
The Daylilies -- Cat Inside The Windo (2021)
James Clark Institute -- Little Powder Keg (2021)
Abbie Barrett feat. Greg Hawkes -- I Will Let You Know (2021)
The Brothers Steve -- Better Get Ready (2021)
The Control Freaks -- I'm Always Right (2021)
Star Collector -- The Silent Type (2021)
Kerosene Stars -- Get Up (2021)
The Cheap Cassettes -- Endless Summer Ends (2021)
Pavid Vermin -- Whoa Dude (2021)
Diamond Hands -- I Lose You Win (2021)
Reviews You Can Use: James Clark Institute – The Color Of Happy
Better than I remember. That’s the title to a song falling somewhere in the middle of the new James Clark Institute release. And it's a perfect way to describe the album. No matter how good I think it is when I'm talking about it with someone, or blathering on about it like this on the modcast, it's so much better when I'm actually listening to it. So, here's my review you can use for James Clark Institute’s The Color of Happy.
This is a simple album. Simple pop music. Simple hooks and riffs. The themes are simple. The music is simple. It is simply delightful. Simplicity is underrated, as it is so hard to do simple right. A few artists get it, McCartney. Lowe. Jackson. Joe of course, but Michael too if you think about it. People want to overthink pop music -power, indy, jangle, whatver - and make it something more than it really is, which does it such a disservice. The truth is the songs on The Color of Happy sound simple, and that's part of its strength and beauty. Because in reality they're sophisticated, difficult, and making art like that is so often misunderstood.
It delivers the band's simple and enjoyable tight knit sound from a number of angles. There's the pure pop of the piano driven opening track Little Powder Keg, with its hummable catchy bouncy chorus, that suddenly has this understated sort of Who like middle section that is pure gold. And don't get me started on Yellow. I mean damn. Just a perfect little northern soul bopper for diamond geezers like me who are fading to black.
The album is full of great music from top to bottom. It finishes quite appropriately with a mod-friendly upbeat number, Next best Thing.
Let me be your next best thing.
Your hips will swerve, your mood will swing.
Your lips won’t perse and your dopamine will offer up an extra gleam,
If you let me be your next best thing.
What a great way to end, making the listener want to come back for so much more. In short, The Color of Happy is delightful. And, always better than I remember.
Bonus Third Set
Star Collector - The Silent Type
The Lunar Laugh - I Wanna Know
The Reflectors -- Faster Action (Live)
doublepluspop -- When She Disappeared
BRNDA -- Wrong Taco
Catbite -- Not Ur Baby
Nick Piunti & The Complicated Men
Kelley's Heels -- Faded Out
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Mr. Suave's Mod Mod World. Mod friendly music mixes since 2006.
