Friday, June 16, 2006

New Release: The Nines –Calling Distance Stations


The Nines –Calling Distance Stations- T.A.S Gold ( Canada ’06)

One sunny afternoon in ’97, I picked three albums that for me crystallised all that was noble about the Pop reawakening that was taking place at the time. Michael Penn’s Resigned , the first Roswells album and Wonderful World Of Colour by The Nines helped reaffirm my belief that something was indeed brewing and that Power Pop was not just for losers…Nearly 10 years later and I got that same warm glow on first hearing the new Nines album. Steve Eggers and cohorts have weaved one of those albums that is totally immediate, yet with enough depth and variety to invite you back for repeat spins (well CDs spin as well don’t they?). Smart, but not too clever-clever, The Nines wear their influences on their collective sleeves: You can roll off names like Badfinger, Jellyfish, Birdwatchers, XTC or Squeeze, yet the songs are instantly recognisable as being wholly Nines. The opening 4 track salvo will have you gripped: Drama Queen and Hard Luck are bright Pure Pop rockers. Marigold is a perfect Baroque Left Banke homage and Driving Myself Insane is simply catchy as hell. The album has at least 4 other songs just as good with a special commendation to Take What You Want and the closer Receiving Me. It’s nice to know that there are still some top class new releases out there if you look beyond the obvious parapet of crap
www.ninespop.com

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