Man, if one of these tunes doesn't get played on the radio, then there's simply no damned hope for pop music anymore. It's an unfortunate fact of life nowadays that the vision of pop music championed by fans of melodic rock n' roll is rarely actually popular. Reviled by smug critics who wouldn't know a decent hook if it roughed 'em up and left 'em for dead and ignored by an indifferent public that simply doesn't know, pure pop has become, incongruously, a cult taste. It's being played to an insular audience that can't fathom why this stuff isn't as massively popular as its proud POP! label implies it should be. It means that a lot of fine pop records, eminently worthy of a wider audience, remain largely unheard by all but a discerning few of the faithful.
Here's hoping The Supers break out of that whole thing. On the band's debut album Spklanng!, the Toronto-based group shows an easy command of classic pop style, without seeming the least bit retro. originally issued in Canada last year (the U.S. version differs by two tracks) , the deceptively mild-mannered Spklanng! fights a never-ending battle for truth , justice and the rockin' -pop way. At the risk of belaboring the comic-book analogy, it must be said that The Supers' efforts border on the heroic.
The lead-off track, "Secret," is tailor-made for contemporary hit radio:while that could certainly be interpreted as a slam, given CHR's current penchant for bland boy "bands," "Secret" is a perfectly inviting, mid-tempo gem that merits some serious mainstream airplay. "Turn," "I Don't Want to Sleep" and "A Stitch in Time" are similarly radio-ready, with "Turn", in particular adding considerable oomph to the mix. "So Many Crooks, " "Luck and Skill" and "Pill", while perhaps not ideal singles, add to the overall vibe of a pleasant, engaging record that anyone with a fondness for hooks 'n' harmonies would want to investigate.
Spklanng! does threaten to drag a bit in the middle, on the back-to-back play of "Only You" and "1+1=3" slows the proceedings down to a sleepwalk, but even "Only You" has a subtle undercurrent of buoyancy that lifts it above Backstreet Boys status. It's enough to restore your faith in pop music. Maybe it's even enough to restore the pop to popular music. Get these guys on the radio, where they belong.
