Dr. Cosmo’s Tape Lab “Ever Evolving Lounge”
Joe Kane (The Owsley Sunshine, Them Beatles) and Stu Kidd (BMX Bandits, Wellgreen) do a great job capturing the spirit and sound of late sixties bubblegum pop with Dr. Cosmo’s Tape Lab. Fans of The Monkees, The Ohio Express and The Strawberry Alarm Clock will really love this album. The duo faithfully re-creates the swinging sound, but the music itself is something wholly original, so you won’t be simply playing a game of “spot the influence.”
“A Sting In The Tale” has funky beat and a catchy, suggestive chorus perfect for go-go dancing. “Adopt A Rabbit” has plenty of vocal gymnastics and moog effects that one up Syd Barrett, then “Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?” chugs along like those Turtles hits with silly lyrics and key changes. You can break out the incense for the psychedelic “The Secret Of The Tibetan Grapefruit Is…?” And the fascinating “Trading Time” plays out like a lost High Llamas track. Overall, not a filler track to be found. Highly Recommended to all those with a healthy love of nostalgia and sunny melodies.
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Dropkick “Homeward”
Scotland’s Dropkick delivers their most polished effort to date with it’s strong compositions and heavenly harmonies, it will please fans of The Jayhawks, Wilco, and The Pernice Brothers. “Come Home” starts with simple strums and some steel pedal and sweet West Coast styled harmonies. “When It Starts” has a jarring discordant chord that gives way to brothers Andrew and Alastair Taylor’s sorrowful balladry.Then “Halfway Round Again” bounces in, with its hypnotic, rhythmic riff. The best tune here is the superb “Jump Start” with its soulful organ melody and rich layered sounds.
The remaining tracks on the second half are almost as memorable, the quality musicianship keeps your attention with “Style” the poppiest track on the album and the catchy percussive rhythm of “Wishing” brings a glimmer of optimism to a fairly melancholy album. The band puts its heart on its sleeve here, as one of those great sad albums you listen to in a darkened room.
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