David Myhr, Jeremy, Down Down Downs – Pop Parade Tres (2013)

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Those familiar with this highly regarded series will be pleased to know the most recent segment hangs fast and furious to its practice of impeccable taste and selection.

A unifying aspect circulates throughout Pop Parade Tres (Rock Indiana Records), creating the kind of songs ideal to sing along with while wheeling down the road on a bright and sunny Saturday morning. Pronounced by clusters of plucky guitar dynamics, masses of infectious melodies and crisp and catchy harmonies, the disc reels off one great pop rock number after another.

Shades of Gin Blossoms flower fully on the sparkle and spike of Bubblegum’s “You Know I Will Be Back,” and David Myhr’s “Boom Boom Beat” nails sledgehammer ACDC styled power chords to an infectious groove, backed by a squeaky “yeah yeah yeah” chorus. Speaking of AC/DC, Grand Prix’s revival of the Australian band’s classic “You Shook Me All Night Long” stands as a unique take, as it replaces the metallic horndog edge with a pure and pithy pop perspective.

Charged with jangling riffs and glistening textures, Jeremy’s “Save Me From Myself” channels the soul of both the Beatles and the Byrds in his own special and distinctive way, and while we’re on the subject of the Beatles, the Happy Losers turn in a real cool version of John Lennon’s “I’m A Loser” that actually pays more homage to Teenage Fanclub than the Fab Four.

The Cookies are rendered in a spunky and springy manner on an A-grade cover of “Chains” by Radio Days, and from the Down Down Downs, there’s “Seconds Of Pleasure,” which not only hijacks its title from a Rockpile album, but also sounds like the band with its romping rockabilly seasonings. Cirrone’s “Uplands Park Road” cruises and crunches with boogie-induced instincts, and “Yes I Can” by the Bottle Kids shimmies and shakes to a knee-trembling pitch that produces fond memories of the new wave era.

Stuffed with substance and brimming with energy and awareness, Pop Parade Tres is the benchmark which all compilation albums should be measured by. Here’s a cast of characters that live, breath and eat pop music and have the talent and motivation to share their flair with those willing to listen. Don’t delay and hear the record today!

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Beverly Paterson