Guitar Pop For Now People—Part 27
10 Recent Tracks + Music Reviewers/Publications (+ Playlist)
New music from The Beths is always reason to celebrate around here.
“Metal” combines everything I love about these New Zealand indie darlings—hooks, great vocals/lyrics, and tons of guitar/bass/drum energy—but the jangle is turned up a few notches here. The result is an urgent track that explores some personal territory.
“In some ways, ‘Metal’ is a song about being alive and existing in a human body,” she said in the press release. “That is something I have been acutely aware of in the last few years, where I have been on what one might call a ‘health journey.’ I kind of felt like my body was a vehicle that had carried me pretty well thus far but was breaking down, something I had little to no control over. …(D)espite all the ways that my body feels like a broken machine, I still marvel at the complexity of such a machine.”
It’s a great track and the perfect way to introduce another slate of shows for a relentless road band (Go. See. Them. Live.). But here’s the incredible thing—“Metal” isn’t alone in keeping the modern guitar pop momentum going. In the last few months there has been a flood of great new tracks from Jeanines, The Number Ones, Strange Neighbors, and Militarie Gun/Dazy, among many others.
I have 10 recent favorites for you below. Give them a spin, click through to support the reviewers, and be sure to check out the comprehensive Guitar Pop For Now People Spotify and YouTube playlists located at the bottom of the page.
⚡️ What Are Your Favorite Tracks Below? 💥
10 Recent Tracks and Music Reviewers/Publications
“‘Metal’ is a jangle-rock jam that calls to mind fellow New Zealanders like The Chills and The Clean.”—Abby Jones, Stereogum
“I know you may think you’ve had your fill of all those kooky kids and their power pop revival, but if the rest of the album lives up to this, it will be an exciting twist: very lo-fi, punk-meets-sunshine-pop.”—Gabbie, New Bands For Old Heads
“Blending hints of Brit-pop and classic indie sonics, not to mention a cool singer-songwriter meets full band sound, ‘Soft Delusion’ is a great song. One that might reference some classic moments of music past, but which is nothing if not the sound of the here and now.”—Dave Franklin, Big Takeover
“‘On and On,’ is a pure rush from the start. Alicia Jeanine's vocals jump right in with her guitar trailing behind, while the rhythm section (which includes Jed Smith on drums) has a nice little snap going on (and on).”—Tim Hinely, Daggerzine
“Like ‘Pressure Cooker,’ ‘Tall People’ is shameless fun, an aughts-tinged track — all strings, handclaps, and echos — that asks, ‘Can you hear me with your head up in the clouds?/Can you see me without pointing your face down?’ The accompanying video, directed by Shelton, is like Reservoir Dogs meets Footloose, featuring the duo dancing in suits … menacingly.”—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone
“New single ‘Sorry’ falls halfway between The Undertones and Buzzcocks, and I have zero complaints about that! When we talk about power pop/punk as a genre of music, this track pretty much sets the standard.”—Faster and Louder
“Opening track ‘Crush’ is fun and poppy, like The Go Go’s running at half-speed. Jangle is definitely a key element in a lot of songs, setting the scene for tracks like ‘Retrograde,’ ‘Whenever We Fall’ and more subtly on ‘You Got Love.’”—Dennis Pilon, Poprock Record
“Motorbike’s latest leg sees them arriving at a distinctly robust sound. ‘Quite Nice’ has sprawling, Tom Petty-esque vibes, a road-faring banger marked by intent and sharp emotionality.”—Chris Coplan, Merry-Go-Round
“A lot of the most immediate songs on Antenna Legs Hear Everything are right up front, like the exuberant power pop of ‘Dream City, 1963,’ the alt-country shuffle of ‘Troublesome Love,’ and the mid-tempo slacker pop of ‘I Had This Vision.’”—Rosy Overdrive
“The Jellybricks are back with their unique brand of harmony driven pop with a punch. Their latest entitled ‘Dreaming In Stereo’ has all the elements that make them relevant for the past two decades—their hooky choruses, ringing guitars and memorable harmonies absolutely command the attention of anyone within earshot.”—Richard Rossi, Power Pop News
I realized when Part 29 of this series was published today that I had fallen behind and I should start catching up. I really like The Jellybricks album, so instead of hitting play on their song here I'm going to spin the album.