Kurt Baker has been on a major back-to-his-roots run with his recent singles, and I am loving it! I first came to be a fan of Baker's music back in the early 2010s, and what I found so appealing was the way he was reimagining the sounds of late '70s/early '80s power pop through the lens of '90s pop-punk. In particular, his collaborations with Wyatt Funderburk were as up-my-alley as music gets. There was something about those two guys combining their talent, influences, and creative vision that produced guitar pop magic. Well here we are in 2025, and they are still writing songs together — as they have been since 2009. Baker's new single "Warm in the Winter" is a vintage Baker/Funderburk creation: an infectious power pop rocker with more than a little Lookout! Records in its musical DNA. I'm always a sucker for a good love song, and this one concerns a love interest who runs hot and cold at the most inopportune times. Baker and his pals (Funderburk, Rich Kelly III, and Geoff Palmer, who kills it on guitar) do amazing work here imbuing this tale of doomed romance with a fun, energetic feel. Once that chorus gets its hooks into you, you'll be hearing it in your head all day. The lyrics are clever and relatable, and that melody is worth its weight in gold. The song was written during the same sessions that produced the superb Rock n Roll Club album. While "Warm in the Winter" didn't end getting recorded for the album, clearly Baker knew he still had a gem of a song in his back pocket. So here it is — fortuitously arriving in the dead of winter. If the intersection of power pop and pop-punk is your sweet spot, you're going to enjoy this one!
No comments:
Post a Comment