The Number Ones - "Sorry"

Now this is how you do a return! The Number Ones had not released new music since their 2018 EP Another Side Of The Number Ones. If you had assumed that this Dublin-based foursome was broken up, surely you were not alone. But here we are in 2025, and The Number Ones are back sounding as much like The Number Ones as ever! New single "Sorry" falls halfway between The Undertones and Buzzcocks, and I have zero complaints about that! When we talk about powerpop/punk as a genre of music, this track pretty much sets the standard. It's a massive burst of melody and catchiness with all the youthful energy and guitar crunch you could ever hope for. It's amazing how this band has picked up right where it left off after seven years of inactivity. On the B-side, "Blind Spot" is another perfect slice of power pop — owing much to early Beatles but still packing plenty of punch. When it comes to power pop with a punk edge, it's hard to beat the single format. And this single is worthy of a spot in your collection alongside the classics.

-L.R.

https://thenumberones.bandcamp.com/album/sorry
https://open.spotify.com/album/1nKGxiK72P8bZrvhmLKZK0
https://www.facebook.com/thenumberonesdublin/

Protex - Wicked Ways

Protex has released an excellent new album that hardly anyone seems to be talking about. I'm rather shocked by the lack of fanfare for what is truly a top-notch release from a band that helped define power pop/punk music as we know it. Wicked Ways, which was released earlier this summer on Bachelor Records, was recently made available on Bandcamp. If you're a fan of Protex or power pop in general, you really need to hear this album. While Aidan Murtagh is the only original member in this current lineup, Wicked Ways is 100% a vintage Protex release. It finds Murtagh teaching a master class in power pop/punk songwriting. There's nothing fancy going on here: just one near-perfect punchy three-minute love song after another. Who would expect (or want) anything different from Protex? And this is not one of those cases of "It's pretty good for an old band." This album can hang with the best of what's out there in today's power pop world. Murtagh might be the last man standing from the golden era of Protex, but he has definitely found the right players to keep the band going strong. Don't sleep on Wicked Ways!

-L.R.

https://protexbelfast.bandcamp.com/album/wicked-ways
https://shop.bachelorrecords.com/Protex-Wicked-Ways
https://www.facebook.com/people/Protex/100063548294313/

The Number Ones - Another Side of The Number Ones

What a tremendous pleasure it is to have new music from The Number Ones! The Dublin foursome was the toast of the power pop world from 2012-14, releasing two perfect singles and a brilliant debut album. It has been a long three year wait for new recordings from The Number Ones, but now we happily receive a new EP called Another Side of The Number Ones. I had to wonder what the 2018 version of the band would sound like. The group nailed that Good Vibrations Records scruffy powerpop/punk sound so splendidly on its original run that there was no point in settling for more of the same. Fortunately, musical progression for The Number Ones did not involve turning away from timeless power pop. The band's command of radio-worthy choruses and memorable melodies has never been sharper. Lead track "Lie To Me" has been live on Bandcamp for a few weeks. As soon as I heard it, I knew that The Number Ones were as devoted as ever to crafting the kinds of songs that you wish they still played on the radio. "Lie To Me" reminds me quite a bit of the mighty Exploding Hearts as well as modern-day pop greats like The Cry. In a just world, it would be a massive hit. On "Long Way To Go" and "You're So Happy I Could Cry", you can hear the band turning to the classic sounds of the '60s for inspiration, yet still finding a way to make it all sound fresh. To close the EP, "Breaking Loose" is a textbook slice of power pop: strong on hooks, with the punch to match.

Another Side of The Number Ones is available from Static Shock Records in the U.K. and Sorry State Records in the U.S.A. It's a very fine addition to an already stunning discography. I appreciate that The Number Ones have managed to mature as an outfit without having to fundamentally change what they're about. And what are they all about? Great pop songs! Let's hope that they will keep writing them for many years to come!



-L.R.

https://staticshockrecords.bandcamp.com/album/another-side-of-the-number-ones 
https://sorrystaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/another-side-of-the-number-ones 
https://www.facebook.com/thenumberonesdublin/