Guitar Pop For Now People—Part 25

10 Recent Tracks + Music Reviewers/Publications (+ Playlist)

No way around it: My year got off to a truly terrible start.

But discovering new music—like the ten fantastic tracks below—always gives me a momentary escape from the day-to-day realities of our current situation.

This installment in the GPFNP series includes recent tracks from a few longtime favorites (The Speedways, Kurt Baker), some new-to-me acts (The Tubs, zzzahara, Duane Hoover), and a great mix of guitar pop variations including power, indie, and punk. There’s even a dash of guitar heroism courtesy of Joe Giddings.

As always, we’ve included a song by each featured artist and a link to a review about a recent release from a trusted publication. Give these songs a listen, click through to support the music writers, and share it far and wide.

PLUS: The comprehensive Guitar Pop For Now People Spotify and YouTube playlists are at the bottom of the page.

---

⚡️ What Are Your Favorite Tracks Below? 💥

---

10 Recent Tracks and Music Reviewers/Publications

“The band, now a trio, hits that power pop sweet spot just right. And of course that chorus is absolute perfection. Given the long wait for new Speedways material, my expectations were sky-high. But ‘Visiting Hours’ is everything I wanted a new Speedways song to be and then some.”—Lord Rutledge, Fast and Louder

---

“Putting power pop maestro Kurt Baker together with Wyatt Funderburk was always going to make for an ear-catching experience. Baker’s new release ‘Warm in the Winter’ is hooks at every turn, all sleek and shiny pop laced with plenty of rock edge.”—Dennis Pilon, Poprock Record

---

“(Y)ou are guaranteed to find more than a few gems here. In fact, the batting average is very high. While some songs are interesting, like ‘S1 E1’ with its Russian klezmer style, I tended to stick with more traditional power pop oriented tracks like ‘Situation Change,’ ‘Fine Line,’ and ‘Shuttlecock.’”—Aaron Kupferberg, Powerpopaholic

---

“Ultraviolet knows how to kick things off with the ‘hits’; the opening title track is as catchy as can be, imagining a lost Beach Boys track being played through enthusiastically by a lo-fi basement power pop band.”—Rosy Overdrive

---

“They are a Scottish power pop band, in the mode of Teenage Fanclub, and I was a fan of their 2023 album, The Wireless Revolution. This one is even better. It starts with ‘Left Behind,’ which is brimming with ringing guitars, wonderful harmonies, and a melody to sing along with.”—Justin Steiner, Shooflypie

---

“‘Chain Reaction’ jumps out of the gate and the most distinct thing about the song is Owen ‘O’ Williams's vocals (some folks have compared him to a younger Richard Thompson) while the rest of the band blitzes forth...”—Tim Hinely, Dagger Zine

---

“Enduring prolonged inauthenticity is exhausting, and it shows on the record. While there’s no shortage of jangly tunes, a haunting sadness clouds them as if zzzahara’s anger has lost its heat from being angry for so long.”—Dom Lepore, Merry Go Round

---

“With ‘Love Letters’ the Columbia, SC, emos have crafted one of their catchiest and biggest songs yet, a four-minute rumination on failed relationships and lost futures.”—Zac Djamoos, The Alternative

---

“‘All Over Again’ might sound more like late-‘60s West London rather than modern-day Atlanta, but that is the whole point. Such music doesn’t have to stay stuck in its moment, and, given a neat reimagining and a smart polish, it can have another bite of the cherry, as the saying goes”—Dave Franklin, Big Takeover

---

“If you’re a fanatic about the monster hooks, harmonies and unforgettable guitars that gave power pop bands their 15 minutes of fame, you don’t want to miss this one.”—Richard Rossi, Power Pop News

---

Guitar Pop For Now People—Part 23

---

---

Guitar Pop For Now People—Official Playlist

If Spotify is not your thing…

---