He has written five novels in the last few years, all available on Amazon here: His latest book is “A Brief History of Jazz Rock” – more on Amazon CLICK HERE.
Mike Baron is the creator of comic books Badger and (along with Steve Rude) Nexus. Secret Friend is so good, I don’t even mind the two instrumentals which sound like they were written by R2D2. “I Don’t Know You,” sung by Wyatt Funderburk, is a power ballad of inchoate longing with more hooks than a knitting bee.Īnd so it goes through “Nobody Listens,” a paean to pop music. Linus of Hollywood weighs in on “Something’s Happening,” a river of A/B harmony as championed by the dB’s. There are more hooks in a Secret Friend song than in most albums by other groups, beginning with the stunning Kelly Jones sung “Blue Sky.” Fox’s songs are mini symphonies that usually run five minutes or more, giving room to each of his musical ideas. Steven Fox, the ex-pat songwriter who is behind Secret Friend, has the kind of pop dynamics as Brian Wilson or Burt Bacharach, combining Mika-like electronica and endless chord changes with inventive melody. Pop music is all about dynamics, changes in tempo, key and harmony that propel the listener onward, eager to hear the next sound. “Butterfly” sneaks in a stunning Supraluxe-like chord that whips your head back into shape. “The Boy From Down the Hill” could have come from Crosby, Stills and Nash. Robinson’s unexpected vocal aerobatics on “Elastic Man” sound a little like Kelly’s Heels and is guaranteed to snap your head around. “Love Somebody” has a Hollies/Grateful Dead vibe in the chords and picking, while “Elastic Man” is Beatlesque with soaring harmonies. This record is redolent of so many great records of the sixties and seventies, from the Jefferson Airplane to the Beatles to the Byrds. Steve Robinson was in the Headlights and played with Roger McGuinn. STEVE ROBINSON & ED WOLTIL: Cycle (Sunshine Drenchy) Just the title for “You’re No Aimee Mann” would have been enough, but it’s a good song. “Jaded” has a dreamy quality while “I’m So Jealous” features crunchy granola drums to die for. You might hear a little Cowsills and Monkees in here. “Einstein and Sunshine” is the most complex song on the record, with an unforgettable bridge and hook. This quartet deals in shimmering, multi-layered harmonies reminiscent of the Beach Boys, The Shake-Ups, and particularly the Mommas and the Poppas, light and sweet as orange meringue, beginning with the Carmina Burana like “I Will Become Love.” Gothic a capella. “Seconds” is my favorite thanks to a stunning bridge while “A Long Way Home” is Who-like in ambition with the return of those A/B harmonies. “A Place For Me” features a wider pallet with Hawks-like chords, rich and sweet as Midwest wheat. Both “Reveal” and “July” are reminiscent of the Kinks, in melody and riffing.
“Five Days A Week” opens up a little with a sweet bridge as the boys return again and again to the A/B harmonies as practiced by the dB’s. The Turnback accepts the challenge of writing tight power pop songs not to exceed one octave in range! Or so it seems through the first half of the album, recalling Redd Kross’ Researching the Blues.
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