EPICYCLE Jingo Jangle (Cirkle)
Sad to say but I believe that the powerpop genre has been going through a slump for some time now. With the odd notable exceptions, there has not been a genuine powerpop masterpiece this side of the millennium and even since perhaps Jellyfish’s Spilt Milk.
That said, Epicycle’s new album Jingo Jangle comes pretty close, as close as ex-Jellyfish members Roger Manning Jr, Jason Falkner or Jon Brion have managed in any case. Consisting of brothers Tom and Ellis Clark, Epicycle has the requisite production know how, melodic chops and wacky sense of humor to pull off one of the better powerpop albums of recent times.
Apart from the obvious Jellyfish riffs, there is more than a touch of 70s pop-rock legacy in 12 memorable tracks (viz. Sparks, Todd Rundgren, ELO, ex-Beatles, Supertramp) to satisfy most powerpop diehards’ fancy. From the moment the opening harmonies, harpsichords and power chords ring out on 8-Track Mind, there’s no denying the sugar rush.
And the pumping adrenaline does not let up with the jaunty Girls Don’t Rule My World, the cod-soulful Randy Newman-channeling Goodbye, the creepy tongue-in-cheeky Tom Waits-baiting Ode to Branson, straightforward rocking X-Mas, the psychedelic-informed Syd Barrett-haunting Day for Night, the gorgeous Beatlesque Lazy Jane and so on and so forth.
Yeah, it’s been awhile but it certainly warms the heart and chills the spine to soak in such cool pure powerpop vibes once again.
Jingo Jangle is out in September 2008 and available online at cdbaby and itunes.
Check out Epicycle’s Myspace page.
