After a six year absence, the Click Beetles have returned to the public eye with Pop Fossil, an album that equals the excellence of its predecessor, Wake Up to Music!
Fronted by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dan Pavelich, the Wisconsin-based band also features his daughter, Mari Pavelich on guitar, and drummer Van Dyke Brown.
Pop Fossil (Vandalay Records/Futureman Records) gets the gig going with “If Not Now Then When?,” which embraces all the key elements of power-pop godliness. An uptempo rhythm, fostered by bright guitar riffs and punchy drums, crowned with a super-hooky refrain make this irresistible song the gold standard of its genre.
Spiked with the whistling burr of a ’60s styled garage rock organ, “To Rule the World” romps with gusto, and then there’s tracks like “Four-Leaf Clover,” “Dreamland” and “Live In the Sun” that blink and wink with atmospheric tones and textures.
A neo-rockabilly swagger fuels “Alone,” which tosses some good old-fashioned “shoo bop shoo bops” into the soup for added effects, while the jingly-jangly “Don’t You Call My Name” and the swinging groove of “Hey Renee” are conceived of conventional pop procedures.
Considering their name, it is no surprise the Click Beetles revere those luminous Liverpool lads, with the vocals being especially emulative of John Lennon. Astute listeners will further note the influence of folks such as Tommy Keene, Shoes and the Spongetones throughout Pop Fossil.
Locked tight with finely-formed melodies, catchy arrangements and a superb sense of harmony, Pop Fossil is a must have for those who crave tasty pop rock songs. The Click Beetles are a great band, so let’s hope we don’t have to wait another six years until they release another album!
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