Eight Guitar Pop Albums Turning 20
2004 Was A Transitional Year For Hooky Rock
Looking back, 2004 was a transitional year for guitar pop.
While hook-oriented rock bands like The Strokes, Jet and Fountains of Wayne made commercial waves at the start of the new Millennium, guitar pop’s mainstream relevance waned. It was a moment when experienced and up-and-coming artists mostly had nothing to lose, so many of them took the opportunity to evolve.
Green Day’s American Idiot is an excellent example of a band that was taking risks in 2004. Although not as blatantly pop-oriented as 2000’s Warning, this collection brought in elements of The Who’s Quadrophenia to create something that critic Jim DeRagotis described as "an actual 'adult' style of pop punk.”
The politically-charged concept album (that later inspired a Broadway musical) builds on the band’s hyper-successful formula of snotty lyrics and high-energy pop punk to deliver a collection that many critics deemed a masterpiece.
Like Green Day, many other ‘90s guitar pop artists did some growing up in the early 2000s.
The result was a wave of great music that took a million stylistic directions, from ‘70s-tinged balladry and introspective indie, to roots rock, ‘60s psych and poppy metal. A few of these albums may feature keyboards as prominently as guitars, but there’s still plenty of familiar six-string spirit holding it all together.
Twenty years later, the eight albums below represent a subgenre in fascinating flux (or maybe it’s just my enormous guitar pop umbrella up to its old tricks). Whether they’re new to you or still in heavy rotation, it’s hard to deny that 2004 was actually a pretty great year for hooky pop rock.
What other albums from 2004 would you add to the list?
Join the conversation in the comments below.
1. A.C. Newman—The Slow Wonder
Released by Matador Records in 2004
“This is his first solo record and it delivers all the things one has come to expect and rejoice in from Newman. Things like witty, engaging song craft that is full of surprises and exciting twists and turns, expertly produced and arranged songs, his perfect rock and roll voice, songs with big, fat hooks that call to mind power pop legends like Raspberries, Redd Kross, and The Kinks…”—AllMusic
2. Rilo Kiley—More Adventurous
Released by Brute/Beaute Records in 2004
“Another charming balance of winsome melody, subtle studio twinkle, frolicking rock, and tinges of country meshed against traditional song structures.”—Tiny Mix Tapes
“This is pure pop for grown-ups.”—PopMatters
3. Enuff Z’Nuff—?
Released by Perris Records in 2004
“While most veteran bands from the ‘glam rock '80s’ decided that a stylistic makeover was in order come the 21st century (cough...Mötley Crüe), Enuff Z'Nuff have stuck to their guns through it all. And ? is no different—power pop that is steeped deeply in Cheap Trick-esque twists and turns, and is also the group's first record in years to include contributions from all four of its original members.”—AllMusic
4. Matthew Sweet—Living Things
Released by RCAM Records in 2004
“As ambitious and compelling as psych-tinged pop gets.”—Uncut
“Sweet doesn't change his songwriting style for Living Things. He grafts this summertime psychedelia onto his typically satisfying power pop, occasionally opening the tunes up into trippy interludes…”—AllMusic
5. Lisa Mychols—Sweet Sinsations
Released by Rev-Ola in 2004
“The pop underground was a much lonelier place in 2004 than it was in 1990. Lisa Mychols was there for the scene's birth with her band The Masticators, and a decade later, the sun-kissed California native wrote the era a love letter.”—AllMusic
6. Dom Mariani—Homespun Blues & Greens
Released by Citadel Records in 2004
“This 2004 gem, his only solo album, was released with a whimper and that's really irritating because it's an absolute stormer. Power pop is at times looked upon as boys with guitars, if that's the case then this is Mariani's grown up album.”—I Don’t Hear A Single
7. Sugarcult—Palm Tress and Power Lines
Released by Citadel Records in 2004
“When Sugarcult are rocking, as they did on most of Start Static and Palm Trees, tunes like the urgent-sounding ‘Destination Anywhere’ or the almost-punk ‘What You Say,’ the band prove they deserve their Warped Tour slot.”—PopMatters
“This is one hell of a grower—an album that shows maturity without ever coming across as trite or predictable. In fact, the band probably owe more to the likes of Elvis Costello than Blink 182 this time around…”—Punktastic
8. Adam Marsland—You Don’t Know Me
Released by Karma Frog in 2004
“What happens when an angry young man gets a bit older? If it’s Adam Marsland, he manages to retain that anger and use it to fuel his creative talents.”—PopMatters
“Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Adam Marsland delivers a kickass album with You Don't Know Me. Be it the reflective, guitar-steered stomp of ‘My Kickass Life’ or the acerbic, introspective ‘Other Than Me,’ Marsland recalls both a young Warren Zevon and a solo Ben Folds.”—AllMusic
Rilo Kiley were such a great band. Thank you for the reminder to re-listen to them today!
Thanks for helping me to discover Adam Marsland! I didn't know what I was missing!!