EXPLORERS CLUB: Grand Hotel  (Rock Ridge)

In 2008 Explorers Club stunned the power pop world with Freedom Wind, an album that began where Brian Wilson left off, using Beach Boys-like chord structures and harmonies to create a record of shimmering beauty that was at least equal to the Beach Boys’ best work.  They have returned with Grand Hotel, which effortlessly incorporates musical cues from Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Webb, Glen Campbell and Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.  If this sounds retro or boring, nothing could be further from the truth.  Grand Hotel proves that great pop is timeless.

“Acapulco Sunrise” serves as a two martini intro with flute and strings, setting the state for “Run Run Run” with changes that send chills up your spine.  So much of this record sounds like it emerged from a 1966 time capsule from some incredible group and label that somehow slipped into a wormhole, from the stacked harmonies to the muted horns.  “Anticipatin'” incorporates a bluesy organ run preparatory to Jason Brewer’s arresting vocal backed by a doo-wop chorus.  The Jimmy Webb/Glen Campbell influences appear on “Bluebird” which would have been a huge hit for Glen.  “Grand Hotel” is an instrumental from the soundtrack of the third Derek Flint movie.

A grandiloquent vocal fanfare introduces the stomping “Go For You,” another song that crawls up your spine.  “It’s No Use” is a Bacharach-ish bittersweet lament that packs a hidden emotional wallop.  “Sweet Delights” combines whistling and horns in a short, charming instrumental that cleanses the palate between emotional powerhouses.  “I’ve Been Waiting” is an ingenious pastiche of Beach Boys and McCartney influences that cannot be mistaken for anything but Explorers Club.  Everything’s good but they save the best for next-to-last.  “Weight of the World” seems almost too perfect for our world.  Where did it come from?  Are there really bands that can produce this kind of sound anymore or is it a clever alien construct?  The wonderfully retro album art proves that covers still matter.

Five Stars.

SEARCHING FOR SYLVIA:  The Ladder

UK-based quintet testing the waters with this three song EP.  “The Ladder” combines jangling riffs, an REM vibe and a liquid guitar solo.  The hooks are here, but SFS is playing a narrow spectrum of the power pop rainbow, like Redd Kross did with Show People.  “Anyone Someone” begins with an acoustic folk feel before knitting hooks together out of the whole cloth.  Just touches that inchoate longing that is the soul of all great pop.  Finally, “From the Book” starts with a tom tom beat and a hard rock vibe–you can hear Black Sabbath or Anvil playing this.

Interesting but I’d have to hear more to know if they’re onto something.

Three stars.

JUSTIN LEVINSON and the Valcours: This Side of You

New England-based singer/songwriter/piano player Levinson edges into mad experimental pop (ELO, Bryan Scary) which is the best place to be.  Levinson plays and does most of his composing on keyboards but he doesn’t sound like Ben Folds or Billy Joel–he’s more of a latter day Cole Porter or Oscar Levant who happens to rock.  His quartet includes a horn section which launches his orchestral pop into the stratosphere.  A gifted singer, Levinson hits an emotional epiphany on every track, aided by his tight little band.  There are places where the horn section sounds like Dreams and/or Dexys Midnight Runners.

“You Became a Ghost” is an emotional powerhouse with Queen-like grandeur,  Levinson leaping for a high chord, a characteristic he uses several times but always surprises.  “In my darkest hour when I needed you the most–you became a ghost.”  “Let You Go” cribs a little Van Morrison and Leonard Cohen with Levinson’s rockin’ piano adding a gospel touch.  “Bar Song” begins as a bar confessional before morphing into a soulful chorus.  In “I’ll Be Okay” Levinson underscores his musical howl with a tuba blast before sliding into an irresistible horn-backed groove.  “I Was So Wrong” is a duet of exquisite beauty with Liz Longley that might have been recorded in Nashville.  Levinson shows mad harmonica skills and the sound is perfect.  This is a live recording.

The remaining songs are equally rewarding.

Four and a half stars.

GOLDEN SEALS: Increase the Sweetness  (Zunior)

This came out in ’10 but it’s new to me, and aptly named.  The cover photograph shows a box made out of sugar cubes with a candle inside.  Highly appropriate.  “Kick It” kick starts the record with a Davenportish piano/guitar sound, great dynamics and rich harmonies in the bridge.  “Wetsuit,” about a troubled relationship, instinctively alternates major and minor chords to create tension–a characteristic of every great pop band.   The contrapuntal harmonies are highly effective.  “The Year Things Fell Apart” is a slow dance with two guitars.  “Half Life” is a melancholy piano ballad that thickens with the introduction of organ and boasts a great bridge with rich harmonies.  “Civil Unrest” is a Squeeze-like melody with Monty Python lyrics with more hooks per square inch than Velcro.  “July 1st” is a rueful rocker with another good hook.  I could have lived without Robert Palmer’s “Woke Up Laughing.’  I think the Seals write better songs.  Finally, the elegant and sparkling “We’re Doing Something Right” recalls Lamar Holley’s best work.

Four stars.