THE REIGN: Storm (Frog Records)

Joe Caravella’s The Reign is a sprawling one-man-band project with help from bassist Ben Laffin Rose and guitarist Frank Persico, a brooding stormfront of prog rock shot through with power pop lightning. “Emotional Design” is classic power pop with snarling guitars and big-hearted chords, recalling the Raspberries and Redd Kross. “Fool’s Folly” is similar, with echoes of the Guess Who. The prog is strong in “No More Heroes” and “Dover’s Reign,” which summons the ghost of ELP’s Tarkus. The Summer of Love lingers in “Body & Soul,” while “You Can’t Make Me Cry” sounds like something from the sixties, like a joint Hollies/Turtles collab. This is a big, sprawling record, over an hour long, with something for everyone, but especially if you love prog and power pop.

Lisa Mychols & SUPER 8 (The Beautiful Music)

Classic power popper returns with a set both effervescent and profound, starting with the bumblebee chorus of “What Will Be.” “You & Me, Me & You” might have been written by Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson. It’s the type of richly romantic, harmonically rich song at which Motown excelled which begs the question, why is no one else doing this type of music? Dan Hicks playfulness is all over “The Monkee Song.” “Honey Bee” is an apt descriptor of Lisa’s music, something Brian Wilson or the Explorers Club might cover. “Peaceful” recalls the Umajets, brainchild of Jellyfish/Lickerish bass player Tim Smith, with its stacked harmonies. “Witchi Tai To” is an ancient peyote chant popularized by Jim Pepper in 1969. “Your Summer Theme” has a Sergio Mendes vibe. Sunshine pop for the ages.

LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS: Long Overdue (Big Stir)

The Librarians pack a lot of wisdom between the graphic novels, with Byrds overtones and touches of prog rock. You can hear the Byrds’ influence on “That Time Is Now,” and “Poor Reception,” with a touch of REM. “Next Time” is infused with poignant regret, a song about mistakes men make. “Silent Stars” combines a cascading mountain stream and mesmerizing drone into something the Lovin’ Spoonful might have sung, while the piano driven “Looking For A Home” sounds like something Ben Folds should cover, with an ostinato guitar figure and a hint of Emerson, Lake and Palmer. This record grows on you the more you listen.

THE FOREIGN FILMS: Ocean Moon (Kool Kat)

Bill Majoros is instantly identifiable by his tone of hushed urgency and lushly romantic melodies, tinged with glam rock. In “Dream With Me Tonight” he sings about the quality of light, one of his favorite subjects. His bridges and hooks are fresh, eschewing standard song structure, and often take away your breath. There are hints of Bowie in “Katie and the Crystal Hearts,” while the piano driven “Birds In A Blue Sky” has the mad pop science of XTC. Bill is a classicist in the manner of Michael Brown, in that he incorporates chamber music, as in the harpsichord and sounding bass of “A Letter To Our Future Selves,” and in the “Stars In Her Eyes.” His bass sounds like a song whales would sing. His songs are stunning and haunting.