EARLY SUMMER 2019 REVIEWS

by Mike Baron

EYTAN MIRSKY: If Not Now…Later

Mirsky’s soulful tenor contains an element of sorrow, which he shares with the late Tommy Keene, which makes his songs resonate more than if he exuded happiness. Pedal steel appears on “Lay Down Your Weapons” and “Tithonius,” which cements Mirsky’s connection with Nashville. If Not Now works as power pop but with minor rejiggering it would be an outstanding country record. “Share If You Agree” summons the ghost of Jim Croce, as do many of these songs. Mirksy’s liquid guitar lights up “Me In My Natural State” in particular, but it’s a highlight of most of these songs.

BRAD MARINO: Extra Credit (Rumbar)

Brad Marino, part of New England’s The Connection, has launched a Saturn booster of a record, filled with jangle and excellent riffing, sometimes reminiscent of Marshall Crenshaw and Kurt Baker, who co-wrote “Wake Up Baby.” “Broken Clocks” explodes out of the gate like a playful puppy filled with Plimsouls urgency and a garage rock esthetic. “No One Else Tried It” sounds like a Dwight Twilley song, but Marino has a better singing voice. Brad’s always one foot in rockabilly, which you can hear on “From the Start,” and his writing reminds me of Nick Lowe. “Broken Record” has a break worthy of the Pinecones.

A Top Ten contender.

TRIPWIRE: Once And Always (Big Stir)

Tripwire brings the chime on their second release with one riff after another. With three songwriters, including Jeff Shelton of the Well Wishers, they stay on track. Somewhat slower paced than the previous Cold Gas Giants, Once And Always has a wider range of dynamics and a mesmerizing two guitar lead. “Bottle Rocket” has a Rubinoos feel to it, while “Act Fast” might have been a Wanderlust track. Although they cite Teenage Fan Club and the Beatles, Tripwires embraces the modern garage rock sound of The Churchills or Valley Lodge. “Carolina” might have come off the Byrds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Founding members Marty Schneider and Bill Hunt are guitar slingers who effortlessly toss off mesmerizing figures. That’s a theramin on “Falling Away.”

ULYSSES: On Safari (Black Glove)

These guys make most modern rock bands sound like sleepwalkers, and on their fourth album they’ve broadened their pallet and textures, although I wish they wouldn’t use sirens, as I play their records while I’m driving. On Safari is a big, sprawling, dynamic show, beginning with the demented troll chorus on “Looking For A Guru.” Ulysses will throw anything into a song including the kitchen sink. “Bad Tattoo” begins like Crenshaw’s “Mary Anne” but quickly veers into its own territory. The puckish “Dragons” has the internal logic of a Fleetwood Mac song and the irony of a Monty Python soundtrack. Luke Smyth bends his voice down on the tonic, a vocal characteristic that appears on every record and defines their sound. The dynamics are richer than before, as on “She,” which goes fast, slow, fast, with a baroque break in the middle. “Married Woman” is a stadium ready anthem like the Who. “Why Aren’t These People My Friends” is sublime power pop that veers expertly from minor to major, as all great pop must. The last song, “Calendar Street,” is an epic, orchestral statement like something the Beatles used to do.