One of the coolest things in the power pop ballpark I've heard all year is Gene Champagne's Let's Jet EP. Champagne, drummer for '90s alternative rock/power pop band The Killjoys and later the legendary Teenage Head, has also fronted The Un-Teens. Let's Jet features four tracks he recorded in pure solo style — producing himself and playing all the instruments. Rum Bar Records has gone out and made a deluxe package out of this thing by adding four Un-Teens tracks. If power pop with the emphasis on the power is your thing, you can't go wrong with Let's Jet. The title track is an arena-sized rocker with soaring hooks — something along the lines of Red Kross meets AC/DC. "Back in My Arms" is textbook old school punk-pop that's as catchy as can be. "Rock 'n' Roll Boy" is power pop by way of the Ramones and one of the true smash hits of the year. "Shake Some More" finishes off a near-perfect EP with an infectious shot of power pop rock 'n' roll goodness. If you're not yet familiar with Champagne's work with The Un-Teens, the four bonus tracks will essentially double your pleasure.
As someone who fondly recalls those days in the '90s when some bands blurred the lines between power pop, alternative rock, and pop-punk, I have to say Let's Jet really hits a sweet spot for me. Champagne really has a feel for what a great power pop song ought to sound like, and he knows how to write a catchy tune. The ability to cross over from drumming to fronting a band to being a one-man band is not something everyone has, but Champagne has that gift — and, of course, a great ear for hook-laden three-chord rock 'n' roll. If you listen all the way through, you'll her "Rock 'n' Roll Boy" twice. I don't think anyone will be complaining.
1 comment:
Did the 2024 Mean Jeans album went under your radar? It's probably one of the three best pop punk albums of the year
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