Friday, April 6, 2012

Myhr's “Soundshine” Swirls, Pops & Crackles Brightly

In my last post I wrote about the power pop genre, and extolled the virtues of Sweden’s The Merrymakers, and their 2nd and final album, 1997’s Bubblegun. The former co-leader of that band, David Myhr, has now released his first solo record, Soundshine. It’s a joyful, unabashed love letter to the pop & rock of the 60s, 70s and 80s. Starting with the Beatlesque opener Never Mine, you’re awash in hummable melodies, great hooks, and sparkling arrangements. Looking for A Life, Get It Right and Cut To The Chase have an 80s flavor, with a touch of New Wave. Then there’s I Love The Feeling, which sounds like it time warped off a 70s AM radio station, and the Jeff Lynne-ish Got You Where He Wanted, one of my favorite tracks on the album.

Myhr’s love of these eras of music really pours forth on the disc. He’s not just paying tribute - he’s working his own magic on these genres and creating wonderful new music. There’s not a bad song on the record;  Don’t Say No is another 70s style song; it's an upbeat “things aren’t so bad” number. Loveblind is a joyful paean to love that practically begs you to sing along. The One is a beautiful ballad that wouldn’t sound out of place on a McCartney solo album.

The album wraps up with a trio of tunes: we go back to the 80s again with the poppy, guitar driven Wanderlust, and the alternative-ish Icy Tracks, which comes complete with a psychedelic-style fadeout. Then Myhr ends up in back in Fab Four territory with Ride Along. These are melodic, charming and most of all fun songs, played with energy, charm and joy. This is a power pop classic, and I hope Myhr will tour in the US to support the release, so we can see this material performed live. Soundshine is shimmering, catchy, summer-y pop and I highly recommend it.

Here are links to the music videos for Got You Where He Wanted  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqoCxXs9FTQ and Looking For a Life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud9k1LPyz14&feature=share from Soundshine.

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