eMusic Review 0
If words actually had meaning any more, the "pop" half of power pop would be short for populist, not popular. Any bedroom doodler able to write and deliver a breathtaking melody can be a listening-class hero, but the full blast of stardom is generally reserved for the crass, the lucky and the fulsomely obvious. No devotee of tuneful auteurs really wants to know how minuscule a ratio will result from dividing the number of earthly pop hits by the vast fields of records that have been created in the Beatles' wake, if not their precise image. Yet, all praise the spirit of Shoes, Big Star and Heavenly, the music keeps getting made. Given the near certitude that most power pop will be heard by next-to-nobody, it's a bloody miracle how many faithful followers still apply themselves, occasionally with magnificent results, to the effort.
Pop has never exactly thrived on obscurity, but neither have determined bands been completely hobbled by the lack of commercial support. It is largely tunes for tunes' sake. Perhaps it's the possibility of being placed shoulder-to-shoulder with an idol (in even just one personal pantheon) that drives so many. The occasional spectacular achievement — a… read more »
