Although it appears from time to time over the weekly playlists, Power-Pop as a genre itself, even if particularly difficult to pinpoint, albeit immediately recognizable at first listen, has been somewhat overlooked on the Blog, although for many years, decades is more correct, has been constantly one of the subjects of my wanderings through flea markets, 2nd-hand shops, e-bay or specialized blogs dealing with rare and obscure music.
A keen interest triggered by my early youthful fondness of British bands at the junction of New Wave, Punk, and the so-called Pub Rock, such as Undertones, Squeeze, XTC, Buzzcocks, Graham Parker, the first Costello and Joe Jackson or Nick Lowe (Brinsley Schwarz) and Dave Edmunds (Rockpile). Then it was natural to cross the ocean and delight, apart from the unmistakable Blondie, with The dB’s, Nerves, then Plimsouls, 20/20, The Romantics, Paul Collins’ Beat, or go back in time with Big Star, Badfinger, and Raspberries, and a few years later to fly Downunder with Crowded House and the legendary, at least for many of us, Hoodo Gurus, I was lucky to see live, up to get closer to the 90s resurgence of TFC, Fountains Of Wayne, Gigolo Aunts, The Posies and somehow the Weezer.
Having several aficionado friends, it was normal to chat at the pub about improbable bands with a curious Italian name like Tommy Tutone or why The Shivvers had never become successful…
Nevertheless, as the immediacy of the genre suggests, without further ado, let’s deal with the Seattle/Tacoma, WA Rock’n’Roll 4-piece The Rallies, comprised of Steve Davis (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar), Lee Brown (Drums, Vocals), Karl Van Der Velden (Guitar, Vocals) and Ben Heege (Bass, Vocals), with a couple of albums under their belt in 2017 (“Serve”) and 2019 (“Upside Down”), fresh from the release of their first single, “Must Be Love”, in anticipation of the scheduled 2023 third album.
Blending throwback vibes of The Beatles, The Hollies and Tommy Keene with more recent groups such as Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Tommy Keene and The Jayhawks, “Must Be Love” is a snappy, ’60s-tinged, slick arranged bubbling tune with cranked-up guitars, bright echoing arpeggios, beautifully tight-knit harmonies, and plenty of hooks, filled with heart-racing romance.
Heady wanderings introspect on the favorable influence of another’s presence to declare this “Must Be Love.”
Crunchy and jerky staccato guitar riffs laced with swirling sparkling jangly melodies embroider the song fabric, underpinned by steady jaunty rhythms and pulsing bass lines, whilst urgent heartfelt vocals release energetic jolts of untamed passion amid light backup airs to fall breathless into rocking moods of lovelorn longing.
Keep up with The Rallies:
