The Pure Pop 4 Now People Singles Club Volume 3

 By Henry Lipput

Here are three more recent singles along with some short and (hopefully) sharp appreciations although it looks like there are a few more words for each of the entries this time around. A good step forward I say!

MARVELINE

Marveline is the solo project of Australia’s Pete Marley.  Marley, along with John Encarnacao, was half of the songwriting team behind The Nature Strip (currently on hiatus).  Marveline’s dreamy new song, “Fly By Instruments” (Bandcamp), is the second single since 2020’s Savoury-Toothed Tiger album (which I described as a “pure pop delight“). In some ways the new song is a return to the sound of Marley’s contributions to  The Nature Strip, especially the amazing “Store Of Tomorrows” on the 2018 Past Pacific EP which he co-wrote with Encarnacao. 

WILLIE NILE

Willie Nile’s new album (out last week!!) The Day The Earth Stood Still (River House Records) is a pandemic-themed collection and a stark contrast to his joyous, love-stuck 2020 release New York At Night. On the title track Nile looks out in disbelief at the empty streets of the city he’s lived in for over 40 years. And on “Blood On Your Hands” (available from digital vendors), featuring Steve Earle, Nile and his top-tier band still rock like nobody’s business but now there’s rage in their playing and righteous anger in the voices he and Earle bring to the song. 

KARMA SURROUND

Karma Surround is comprised on two brothers, Michael and Darren Roy, from, according to their Bandcamp page, the “old mining country in Fife.” The band has been releasing songs since the beginning of the year (with plans to release an album at the end of 2021) and one of the first I heard, “Stars Of The Last Magnitude,” really caught my attention. A recent release is “Do You Wonder” (Bandcamp) with it’s jangle-pop groove, a bit of snyth strings, and a tight, clear guitar solo, the song is a more than promising indication of what’s in store.  All of the band’s songs are being offered as free downloads or “name your price” but, if you're able, the band certainly deserves your support.