The Pure Pop 4 Now People Singles Club 2023 #1

 By Henry Lipput

Because no one asked for it I’ve decided to bring back the Pure Pop 4 Now People Singles Club. I did a few posts in this vein back in 2021 when a lot of things were shut down including, it seemed, my brain. Although I was still listening to and enjoying music, I was having a difficult time thinking of words to express how I felt about it. Things have changed in so many ways and, as Stan Laurel once said to Oliver Hardy: “Remember how dumb I used to be? Well, I’m better now.”

To begin the new year of Pure Pop 4 Now People I’m highlighting four singles I’ve been digging that have been released since January.  This may be a monthly or semi-monthly thing going forward as I already have more singles I want you to know about.

Tugboat Captain, “Flash of Light” (Bandcamp)

Is Tugboat Captain doing it backwards? Their new single “Flash of Light” starts with the sound of a train crossing like the end of Pet Sounds or the musical freight train at the close of “Strawberry Fields Forever.” The song then morphs into the trademark blend of Alexander Sokolow's vocals, Buddy Caderni's’s keyboards, the TC team’s backing vocals. It’s an interesting change from how they've built songs like the great “If Tomorrow’s Like Today” from 2020’s Rut but just as important in the band's evolution.

Joe Peacock, “On Fire Again” (linktree)

The new single from Joe Peacock, the self-described genre-hopping storyteller, is the rocking, punk-guitar driven “On Fire Again. ”  The song was inspired by the man who, at seven, holds the record for being struck by lightning the most times (it’s clear from the lyric “I didn’t want to be a lightning rod” this guy had no wish to win any awards). At first I thought it might be the perfect driving song but having watched the video it’s not a trip I would want to be taking in a car any time soon. 

The Nature Strip, “I Cannot Deny You” (Bandcamp)

Back from their hiatus since 2018’s Past Pacific EP, Australia’s The Nature Strip has reunited and, as they announced on their Bandcamp page, “working towards a new album.” The third single since then is “I Cannot Deny You.” The song began when Pete Marley handed off his killer riff and chord sequence to co-writer John Encarnacao who wrote the lyrics and melody and sent it back to Marley the next day. The Nature Strip has lost none of its rock bona fides and, based on the three songs released so far, the new album will be a rocknroll bonanza.

Confusion Boats, “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” (Bandcamp)

Brian Dear of Confusion Boats has been coming up with Beatles and Beatles-related covers for a long time and the latest and the fourth one to be released “I Want to Hold Your Hand” is the best. With the slowed down and soulful vocal of Andrew Lubman, Dear and fellow Boater Fernando Perdomo lay down the original arrangement for Abbey Road’s “Oh! Darling” on top. It’s just such a brilliant move that I’m sure no one saw it coming (I certainly didn't and have been playing it for people since it came out) and the result is amazing.