Trip & Ellie are throwing a party and it's going to last all summer long

By Henry Lipput

In late May 1967 The Beatles released a concept album in what Paul McCartney called a “golden summer,” and the album was played around the world all season. And despite our current problems and concerns, Lisa Mychols and SUPER 8 have just released a wonderful album that can turn, to paraphrase Mr. Shakespeare, our summer of discontent into our very own golden summer and can brighten our lives all season long. 

LISA MYCHOLS & SUPER 8 (US: Lisa Mychols, Bandcamp / Canada: The Beautiful Music label / UK: SUPER 8, Bandcamp) is also a concept album (it even has a theme song and a joke with a reference to Sgt. Pepper!) about summer loves. It’s a glorious sun-baked boardwalk stroll down memory lane for some and a perhaps a soundtrack for a future romance for others.

LISA MYCHOLS & SUPER 8 is a meeting of musical minds and a true collaboration with both of them writing lyrics and music. As she sings in the joyous “Trip & Ellie’s Music Factory” they were “changing words to make better sense”  and turning up the tunes a few degrees to create the perfect mix.

After their first musical partnership (the fantastic single “Timebomb“ which is featured on the new album), singer/songwriter/“Queen of Power Pop” and Californian Lisa 'Ellie' Mychols and UK-based singer/songwriter/mad-scientist-in-his-home-studio Paul “Trip” Ryan decided to just keep going. They wrote and recorded an entire album using every trans-Atlantic means possible to send each other ideas, music, lyrics, and even videos. 

Lisa is the cool girl who’s not your girlfriend but your friend. She whispers secrets in your ear and giggles when you say funny things. You’d be really mad at her boyfriend but it’s your best friend Trip and you think this couple is perfect especially because you’re spending the summer hanging out with them and they‘re singing terrific songs.

These terrific songs include the opening track, the psychedelic “What Will Be?,” the album’s overture and, with its brief lyrical passages, it sets up the idea of songwriting as a way of finding the right recipe. There’s also a monster bass line and fuzzed-up guitar from Trip. Following is the theme song “Trip & Ellie’s Music Factory” which is a give-and-take between the two as they cook up their musical partnership. A vocal give-and-take is also part of “Honey Bee,” another pre-album single and a pop treasure that will find you dancing around your living room all summer to this tune. 

“You & Me, Me & You” is another pop delight and showcases Lisa‘s ability to express what being in love sounds like.  In many ways it’s about the mysteries of love: You can see someone at a school yard as kids and barely notice them but years later you fall in love with the person.  

“Flying Close To The Sun” compares falling in love with Icarus’ attempt to reach that far-away star; as a result you will either connect with a true soul mate or come crashing down to earth. It’s another gorgeous vocal turn by Lisa and an understated accompaniment from Trip with strummed guitar and just the right amount of Mellotron fills. On the flip side of love, the up-beat, short, and sweet “Laguna Nights To Remember” and the bossa nova-inflected “Your Summer Theme” describe what happens when everything goes right in a relationship.

Trip takes the lead on the cover of the late, great Kenny Rankin’s “Peaceful.” As an addition to an album of mostly summer love songs it fits perfectly as it reflects the feeling you have after a day spent with your loved one.

By the way, if you buy the CD of LISA MYCHOLS & SUPER 8  you’ll get a secret track that’s not available anywhere else.

Next time: This tugboat captain is pulling a brilliant pop tune