Eight power pop albums that deserve more love

The final three games

Jason Falkner - Presents The Author Unknown

Maybe the tongue-in-cheek album title here referred to the fact that Falkner already had some tasty bands under his belt regarding musical experience. He was already a member of Three O’Clock and Jellyfish, even though his role was seemingly not so prominent there.

But going solo with this album in 1995, Falkner presented himself as an exceptional songwriting and arranging craftsman, coming up with some of the best power pop and pop rock of that decade.  Neither this nor any of Falkner’s own albums that followed made a big splash beyond power pop circles. Quite a shame that.

Teenage Fanclub - Grand Prix

While critics and fans are still (rightfully) raving about the band's grand power pop effort Bandwagonesque, it was this album that is not only one of their best but a true songwriting effort by the whole band, matched with some of the best, often whimsical lyrics they have come up with to date. After all, who would come up with a title (and fitting lyrics) like “Neil Jung" (Carl Young, anyone?)? Still, somehow, this album was never as appreciated as some of this band's other efforts.

Pugwash - Silverlake

It seems that the heart of hardcore power pop fans these days lies with this Irish crew led by Thomas Walsh one of the more serious connoisseurs of all things melodic rock and power pop.

This album from 2017 presents all the best characteristics of the sounds this band can make, presenting all that is good with modern power pop. And while Pugwash have a hardcore power pop fan base around the world, the wider audience is yet to catch up with them.

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