Happy Friday. With this batch of reviews, we are almost halfway through the June and July releases, and we will keep pounding them out until we catch up. If you submitted a request and your album was slated for release in either June or July, please be patient with us. We are getting them completed as soon as we can. We have an extra review today because Well Well Well is simultaneously releasing two EPs.
Artist Name: Ghost Ability
Album Name: Velcro Dreams
Label: Self-released
Genre: Electronic Instrumental
Track Listing: 1. Velcro Dreams; 2. Cool as we Wanna Be; 3. Late Night Drama; 4. Start it Up
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: Shannon Hurley and Ben Eisen, aka Lovers & Poets, have been creating some of the best DIY music for years. They recently wrote some songs, however, that didn’t quite fit either the solo Shannon Hurley or Lovers & Poets brand. As a result, a brand new project was created – Ghost Ability. These songs are instrumental, so they should work well as placements for commercials, film or television, and we highly recommend that smart music supervisors snatch up the rights. We look forward to see what else this dynamic duo can come up with. They would also work well for any DJs looking to make their mix tapes even hotter. Love all the ambient sounds in “Start it up.”
Recommendation: Tasty and sweet, these tracks are short and fun. Give them a listen and support indie music.
Artist Name: JP Soars
Album Name: Southbound I-95
Label: Self-released
Genre: Blues
Track Listing: 1. Ain’t no Dania Beach; 2. Sure as Hell Ain’t Foolin’ Me; 3. Southbound I-95; 4. Shining Through the Dark; 5. The Grass Ain’t Always Greener; 6. Arkansas Porch Party; 7. Satisfy my Soul; 8. Born in California; 9. When You Walk out That Door; 10. Deep Down in Florida; 11. Across the Desert; 12. Dog Catcher; 13. Troubled Waters; 14. Go with the Flow; 15. Sure as Hell Ain’t Foolin’ Me (radio edit)
Publicist: Doug Deutsch Publicity Services
Review: JP Soars does blues differently, mixing in a healthy dose of soul, R&B, surf, reggae, roots and country music into his blues, creating a creative brand of the blues that is pure Southern hospitality. Soars is also the leader of The Red Hots, and along with his band, continues to rack up awards and critical acclaim. This album will definitely add fuel to the fire, and it won’t be long before the name “JP Soars” is synonymous with driving southern blues. There is so much great material on this CD, but we really love the title track, “Shining Through the Dark,” “Satisfy my Soul,” “Born in California,” “When you Walk out That Door,” and “Troubled Waters,” and the instrumentals “Arkansas Porch Party,” “Across the Desert” and “Go with the Flow.”
Recommendation: This one is sure to become a classic. Get it while it’s hot!
Artist Name: Post Season
Album Name: Post Season
Label: Know Hope Records
Genre: Pop Punk
Track Listing: 1. Long Shot Lost Cause; 2. Numb to This; 3. Tell Tale; 4. A Stone’s Throw; 5. Backroads; 6. Another Song About the Sea; 7. Picture Frame Eyes; 8. Another Day, Another Schrute Buck; 9. Never Tell me the Odds; 10. Fracture
Publicist: Earshot Media
Review: They may consider themselves a pop-punk band, but we think they are a straight indie rock band, and we totally dig it. From the first notes of “Long Shot Lost Cause,” we hear a band whose songs are radio ready and looking to become a household name. This is music perfectly suited for placement opportunities and radio airplay, especially on the College Radio scene. They could easily compete with most of the so-called Top 40 bands currently getting airplay. They truly shine on this sophomore record, and have raised the bar considerably. Our favorite tracks include “Long Shot Lost Cause,” “Numb to This,” “A Stone’s Throw,” “Another Song About the Sea,” “Another Day, Another Shrute Buck,” and “Never Tell me the Odds.”
Recommendation: By any means necessary, Get this one!
Artist Name: Well Well Well
Album Name: Poptimism
Label: Self-released
Genre: Pop/Rock
Track Listing: 1. Sleeping Away; 2. Me; 3. Buzz off; 4. Poptimism
Publicist: The Syndicate
Review: This San Diego band has a very retro sound that incorporates the Southern California lifestyle into tunes that could easily have been done by The Beach Boys. The feeling is light and fun, and will get you into that relaxing summer frame of mind, especially the first track, “Sleeping Away.” They follow that 60s vibe with “Me,” an 80s influenced tune filled with amazing saxophone. They close out the EP with “Buzz Off” and the title track, both new wave influenced tunes that will have you up and dancing in no time flat.
Recommendation: Add this one to your short list.
Artist Name: Well Well Well
Album Name: Ships
Label: Self-released
Genre: Dream Pop/Indie Rock
Track Listing: 1. Day After Day; 2. On Your way Home; 3. Ships; 4. New Friend; 5. Without Him; 6. MTL (Keith Sweaty remix)
Publicist: The Syndicate
Review: This second EP by Well Well Well shows a completely different side to the band. This one is more indie rock/dream pop as opposed to the retro sound of Poptimism. It shows that there is a lot of creativeness contained in the band, and we can hardly wait to see what comes next. These songs are definitely radio friendly, and should do well on college radio.
Recommendation: For a fun time, buy both and compare for yourselves.
Artist Name: Broken Bellows
Album Name: I, Kaleidoscope
Label: Fervor Records
Genre: Alt Pop
Track Listing: 1. Somebody New; 2. Dangerous Game; 3. Heartstrings; 4. Lemonade; 5. Gravity; 6. Sunrise; 7. Animals; 8. Ghost Town; 9. Leave in the Summer; 10. Let Yourself Go; 11. Sixteen Candles
Publicist: Noisy Ghost PR
Review: Last year we reviewed their EP The Card Table, which also received an Honorable Mention in our list of the best EPs of 2017. We are now pleased to review their debut full length album, and it is a huge step up from the EP. This one has song after song that have radio potential, and we believe every station manager (especially college radio) and music supervisor should put this band on your radar. Their debut single, “Dangerous Game,” is better than ANYTHING on Top 40 radio, and should establish Broken Bellows as the go-to band for 2018. Other great tracks include “Somebody New,” “Lemonade,” “Gravity,” the pure bliss of “Sunrise,” “the Spandau Ballet-like “Ghost Town” and “Let Yourself Go” and the closing track, “Sixteen Candles.”
Recommendation: You need to get up and Get this one ASAP!