The Incredible Lightness Of Being Bill Pritchard

By Henry Lipput

 Bill Pritchard is not a lightweight in any sense of the word. He has, instead, a lightness in the touch he brings to his vocals, his lyrics, and his musical arrangements. Taken together he makes a wonderful sound and nowhere is this more evident than on his new album Haunted (Tapete Records).

Since his Jolie album in 1990, Pritchard has been releasing music known for its sharp observations and quiet beauty and he continues to refine and expand what a pop song can be.  I wasn’t aware of him until I got to hear the Mother Town Hall album in 2016 and was more than delighted to join the Pritchard fan club (I reviewed the album back then when I was writing for CoolDad Music).

“Perpetual Tourist,” the album’s lead off track, begins with the statement “When I walked/When I left her” letting us know he feels free and he’s on the way to try everything (“When I drank/Crossed the line”) and looking for something. The upbeat pop sound of the song, with its 60’s pop organ, belies his feeling of not missing an important part of his life as it unravels.

“Lillie” is a pop gem and there are some cool 70’s sounding George Harrison horns in the mix. Throughout the song a woman is earnestly wooed with references to art, visits to wealthy clubs, and being a safe haven: “Paint me/I’ll add your art upon my wall/I’ll be a member when the curtain calls” and “You’ll be my safe zone when bombs should fall.”

The title track, “Haunted,” is an amazingly gorgeous song about a lost love (one would only hope that the man in “Perpetual Tourist” might some day have these feelings). With only a strummed acoustic guitar accompaniment Pritchard quietly sings “Just want to say that all in all it’s better this way.” He continues, as strings and horns stir in the background, “I’m haunted/Haunted by everything we did/I’m haunted//By all the facts we hid.”

The Pure Pop Singles Club #2

 By Henry Lipput

Yeah I know it's been a while -- much too long if you ask me.

But between my four-year old computer dying right after my last post, a continuing bout of allergy-induced brain fog, working more days and hours for three of the last four weeks, and the difficulty of typing on my new laptop I've had a hard time putting my thoughts together. It's not as if I've stopped enjoying music because that would be the end of this blog. So here are three recent singles that I've been enjoying, all released to promote upcoming albums (some sooner than others -- I'm looking at you Twin Bloom). I hope you like what you hear and buy the songs or get the whole album.

"Against The Tide," Lovejoy (Spinout Nuggets/Shelflife)

After a short sabbatical, the much-loved band Lovejoy returned in 2024 with the well-received album ...And It's Love. Now, three years later we're about to be treated with the release of their new album Under The Weather (out on July 31st). The first single from Under The Weather is the glorious "Against The Tide" with it's elements of dreampop and shoegaze. It's a stunner that deserves time spent under the headphones (not earbuds my friends but the big ones worn by John Cusack at the beginning of High Fidelity).

"Reliance," Tugboat Captain (Bandcamp)

Describing their music as "South London DIY Baroque Pop" the band Tugboat Captain's fifth album, All At Once (out on July 17th), traces the collapse of a relationship. The album's second single, "Reliance," is a seven-minute cry of loss and the upshot seems to be that he won't get over it anytime soon. This sounds like it might be a real drag to listen to but the band is at the top of their game at every moment and on the vocal by frontman Alexander Sokolow aka Sox sings his heart out. You can hear his heart break every time he sings the line "You tell yourself it's not real."

"Summer's Gone," Twin Bloom (Dandy Boy Records)

Based in Oakland, California, Twin Bloom hits the ground running with their self-titled debut release (out on July 10th -- sorry for the short notice!). On the second single from the EP, "Summer's Gone," this four piece, comprised of Vir Aviv (vocals and guitars), Mickle Nguyen (guitar), Joshua Cano (bass, vocals, and keys), and Sandra Alva (drums), create a melancholy fuzz-heavy look at not only what happens as the life guards leave and the boardwalk closes and when "all my friends are gone" but the loneliness as the seasons go by and you watch it come around again.