Jason Falkner, "Can You Still Feel," Elecktra.

Can You Still Feel, Jason Falkner's follow up to Presents Author Unknown, is by far the best album I've heard so far this year. Falkner has a knack for taking a complex pop melody, arranging it in a unique way and creating a sound that's very much his own. The album sounds at the same time groundbreaking and derivative. Jason obviously pulls some inspiration from 60s and 70s pop, with a touch of 80s alternative thrown in. But somehow, he manages to make it sound fresh and original. Falkner is like a pop wizard pulling melodies out of the air, giving his albums an almost mystical feel. His intense focus (he plays every instrument once again) and great arranging skills contribute to this album's wonderful feel. Pairing up with Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich has also added a new dimension to this album that takes it a step beyond his solo debut. Can You Still Feel is an inspiring pop masterpiece that intertwines Beatle melodies with 70s power pop to create a style that's just Falkner. My favorite tunes are "Author Unknown," "Holiday," "Honey" and "The Plan."

Five Style, "Minature Portraits," Sub Pop.

Five Style is my favorite all-instrumental band. In fact, they're one of the only all-instrumental bands I listen to, probably due to the talent of guitarist Bill Dolan. His energy and style make this band a 'must-see' live act. "Minature Portraits," is more relaxed than their debut, making it a little more difficult to accept. The first album kept me engrossed almost from start to finish with Dolan's spastic guitar riffs forming unique melodies over an awesome rhythm section. On the second album, Dolan lays back a bit allowing the new acoustic guitarist / keyboardist to share the spotlight. There are also hints of more mellow world music on this CD, replacing much of the harder Zeppelin-esque tunes of the past. After multiple listens, I found this to be a satisfying follow-up to "Five Style," that finds this band exploring some new territory. However, it's still the interesting guitar work on the CD that keep me coming back.

Gigalo Aunts- "Minor Chords and Major Themes," E Pluribus Unum Recordings.

Unfortunately, one of the best pop albums of the year will probably go unnoticed by most critics. No longer on a major label, the Gigalo Aunts earned little press or recognition for their 1999 release "Minor Chords and Major Themes." But this album is worth seeking out in the bargain bins or ordering from Not Lame. With the urgent introduction of "C'mon C'mon," the silly charm of "Super Ultra Wicked Mega Love" and the beauty of "You'd Better Get Yourself Together, Baby," the band finds itself in fairly predictable "power-pop" territory. However, the Gigalo Aunts keep things from becoming too pedestrian with memorable hooks spread throughout the CD. While at times the album has a laid back feel (almost to a fault towards the end of the disc), the melodies keep you coming back for additional listens. The album's best songs are finely crafted pop tunes, similar to the best work from Gladhands or The Ocean Blue if they "rocked out" a little bit. My favorites are "Everything is Wrong," "The Big Lie," "Simple Thing" and "Rest Assured."

Robyn Hitchcock, "Jewels For Sophia," Warner Bros.

After "Moss Elixir" and "Storefront Hitchcock," I was sure the Robyn Hitchcock was preparing to settle into a career of acoustic strangeness. However, "Jewels For Sophia" finds Robyn picking up the electric guitar again and even bringing back Kimberly Rew for a track. The album often has a feel like "Element of Light" or "Globe of Frogs." Songs like "Mexican God," "Viva Sea-Tac" and "Nasa Clapping" sound like Hitchcock of days past. Much of the remainder of the CD is typical of his recent work: acoustic tunes with strong melodies and Robyn's unique lyrics. Highlights include the bizarre "Cheese Alarm," the equally strange "You've Got A Sweet Mouth On You Baby" and the pretty "Jewels For Sophia." I love the balance between the two styles here. Since Robyn contends he will not tour with a full band again, it's great to hear drums and overdriven guitars on his CDs. As a whole, the album is Hitchcock's most engaging since "Respect."

Paul McCartney, "Run Devil Run," Capitol.

After the loss of his wife and musical comrade Linda, Paul McCartney took some time off from recording to mourn and reflect. When the time came to release another album, he decided once again to return to his roots. "Run Devil Run" features a variety of mainly obscure covers from some of Paul's favorite 50s artists and three new original tunes written in a traditional 'rock and roll' style. Paul pulled out the old Hofner bass again and put together a small band consisting of a drummer, a couple of guitarists (David Gilmour on lead) and a keyboard player to create a "live in the studio" sound. Overall, this strategy is very effective, providing some of Paul's most upbeat recordings in quite a while. The most engaging thing about this CD is Paul's energy and fantastic vocal performances. Two of the originals, "Run Devil Run" and "What It Is" are some of the best songs on the album. What's also refreshing is the absence of the over-blown productions like "Beautiful Night" from the last CD in favor of straight-forward rock and roll tunes.

However, there is nothing of any real substance on this disc. Many critics would probably make that observation about any Paul McCartney CD due to his lyrical content, but let's concentrate on melody for a moment. Paul is undoubtedly one of the masters of rock and roll melody, but because we're dealing with mainly 50s cover tunes, everything sounds melodically the same. The final result is a pleasant look at some of Paul's musical influences, performed with a lot of style and energy, but without many hummable tunes that stick with you after listening. To be fair, though, that's not really the point of this record. And for what it is, "Run Devil Run" is fantastic. It's a nice look at some of Paul's favorite obscure 50s rockers recorded in a nice setting with the very energetic performances.

The Merrymakers, "Bubblegun," Big Deal.

I've heard several Jellyfish fans recommend the Merrymakers because their disc features drumming and some co-writing from Andy Sturmer. The band really consists of Anders Hellgren and David Myhr, who write excellent, straight-forward Beatle-esque pop with strong hooks. The melodies on this album hit you from the moment it begins. Fortunately, these guys are a tad more inventive than most typical pop men, which adds some substance to the album. This is not just a hollow exercise in imitating the power pop form. The songs are smart and complex with good arrangements, while sounding pleasingly simple. Being a Jellyfish freak, I'd be inclined to attribute this little twist to Mr. Sturmer, because it really sets this album apart from most I've heard recently of this style. Truthfully, Andy only co-wrote two great tracks, "April's Fool" and "Sad," and produced two others, all of which feature his trademark pop sensibility. The rest is more highly original pop from two very talented songwriters. My favorties are "Saltwater Drinks," "Troubled Times," "Under The Light of the Moon," "Superstar" and "A Fine Line." The only truly derivative song on the album is "I'm In... Love!" which contains an apparently deliberate rip-off of the The La's opening guitar lick from "There She Goes," considering the song is mentioned in the lyrics. I highly recommend this one to Beatles and Jellyfish fans alike

The Pearlfishers, "The Young Picknickers," Marina.

Few bands are recording pop music as lush, melodic and beautiful as the Pearlfishers. After I heard 1997's "In The Strange Underworld of the Tall Poppies," I wondered how this band could top such an achievement. That CD recalls the greatest qualities of mid-period Beatle albums with perfect arrangements, immaculate musicianship and above all, fantastic songwriting. Amazingly, "The Young Picknickers" continues the brilliance of its predecessor without missing a step. The album opens with the joyous "We're Gonna Save the Summer," finding the Pearlfishers on familiar ground. But as the CD continues, the band concentrates more on piano and keyboard arrangements than on jangling guitars. "An Ordinary Day Out in the Suburbs," "We'll Get By" and "Blue December" drive this new direction home with wonderful results.

Other highlights include the Linda McCartney inspired synth solo on "You Justify My Life," the rhythmic autoharp of "Battersea Bardot," the Pet Sounds inspired instrumentation of "The Young Picknickers" and the teenage horniness of "Stella Painted Joy." This CD is sharing the title of my favorite album of '99 with Jason Falkner's "Can You Still Feel?" Falkner's album is the best hard-rocking and energized melodic pop of the year, while "The Young Picknickers" is the most beautiful.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, "Echo," Warner Bros.

Like most of his albums released in the 90s, "Echo" is a spotty Tom Petty album. Along with a hand-full of great tracks, Petty bores us with dull, brooding songs featuring pointless and dreary lyrics. "Echo" finds Petty at some of his worst moments. "Free Girl Now" is the lamest single he has released in years (since the pathetic "Peace in L.A.," of course) and "Counting On You" sounds like a crappy track left off of the "Long After Dark" album. The references to the old time 'swingers' on "Swinging" sound about as natural as Sinatra singing with Bono. The last few tracks on the album plod along at a pace so slow that it leaves me drooling. But for some reason, I'm always willing to sit through the drivel to hear Petty at his best. I guess it's a testament to what a true Petty fan I am. Some of the best songs here, "Room At The Top," "Won't Last Long" and "Billy The Kid" remind me of days past when Tom and company could produce a solid album's worth of material. These songs alone are enough to keep me dreaming of the day when Tom will just rock out for an album and get back to his roots. There's just enough goodness here to keep me listening, but my finger never strays far from the track forward button on my player.

Sloan, "Between The Bridges," Murderecords.

Sloan is on a roll. After the brilliant "Navy Blues," the band released a double cd of live performances, probably realizing the raw power of their live shows should be captured forever on disc. "Between the Bridges" picks up where these albums leave off: a collection of high energy, hook laden rock and roll tunes reminiscent of such early 1970s bands as Badfinger, Sweet and the Raspberries. I was immediately taken with this album the first time I listened to it. The songs segue together, creating an energetic pop-song-cycle, leaving the listener nearly breathless. Almost every tune on the album stays with you after the CD ends.

While the references to 70s pop and rock are obvious, the band's unique style keeps it from becoming too derivative. Four songwriters help to mix up their sound quite a bit. Fortunately, they all seem to be focused on the same musical ideas. Some of my favorite songs on the album are the upbeat rockers like "So Beyond Me" and "Friendship," simply because I can so easily imagine their power during a live performance. The slower songs are becoming more intricate and interesting as well, such as "The N.S." and "Don't You Believe A Word." One begins to wonder what direction the band will take next, since they have nearly mastered their style of "70s influenced" rock and roll. I suppose I'll worry about that later and enjoy the pop brilliance of "Between the Bridges," especially when the band performs here in Philadelphia next month.

Matthew Sweet, "In Reverse," Volcano.

The title of Matthew Sweet's new CD "In Reverse" is appropriate on so many levels. Sweet uses backwards guitars, horns and jangling guitars, taking us back in time to the pop-rock sounds of the mid-sixties. At times, he seems to be returning to a songwriting style similar to his earliest albums like "Inside" and "Earth." Even the packaging is backwards, with the songs listed in reverse order and the graphics printed upside down.

In the opener "Millennium Blues," Sweet acknowledges the debt he owes to the rock music of the passing century and ponders his musical influence upon the next. While Matthew may be looking back in time before the start of the new millennium, he has managed to take his sound into a positive new direction. He is one of the few power-pop artists accepted within the alternative rock scene of the 90s because he is always willing to explore new sounds while maintaining an excellent handle on pop songwriting.

"In Reverse" is not immediately catchy like some of Sweet's other CDs. No single song provides the instant power-pop gratification of hits like "Girlfriend," "Sick of Myself" or "Where You Get Love." However, upon more intense listening, the album reveals many subtle melodic pleasures.

In the style of many great pop albums, Sweet kicks off with a trio of pop gems that segue together. What follows is an examination of several pop styles ranging from a sort of alt-country ('I Should Never Have Let You Know') to epic pop-rock songwriting in the vein of ELO ('Thuderstorm.') The album rarely picks up much steam, maintaining a laid-back feel with mainly mid-tempo songs. This leisurely feel is exemplified by the first single, 'What Matters.' Fans expecting the hard-rocking pleasure of previous albums may be disappointed, but "In Reverse" is a revealing examination of the mature songwriter Matthew Sweet has become.

Velvet Crush, "Free Expression," Bobsled, Sony Japan.

'Free Expression' was released by Sony in Japan a couple of weeks before the US release, so naturally I had to spend the extra $20 and get it early. I was a little disappointed when I first popped it into my CD player. After the high energy production of 'Heavy Changes' (1997), I wasn't expecting the mellow, homespun sounds that came from my speakers. Gone were the thick guitars, wild solos and organic rock and roll songs. Instead, Velvet Crush offers up a group of laid back songs with wispy vocals and gentler pop arrangements. 'Free Expression' is a really a return to the band's earliest recordings. Velvet Crush has been reduced to its core members and songwriters, Paul Chastain and Ric Menck, who have been making pop records together since the late 1980s under the name Choo Choo Train. They even enlisted the help of their old friend Matthew Sweet, producer of the first Velvet Crush album 'In the Presence of Greatness.'

The resulting CD often sounds very much like their first album. While retreading over old ground can be a real bore with some bands, this 'Free Expression' is a comfortable retreat. There's a nice mix of sweet pop songs (Between the Lines, Things Get Better and Roman Candle) and more upbeat numbers (Kill Me Now, Goin' To My Head, and Worst Enemy). They even revive an old tune from their early days, 'Gentle Breeze,' with updated production to good effect. Upon listening more carefully, Velvet Crush fans will find something new here. The keyboard and horn sounds on 'Melody 1' and 'All Together' move Velvet Crush into some new territory. Matthew Sweet's presence is also quite strong on the CD, sounding at times like a homemade rendition of his recent production styles on albums like 'In Reverse' and 'Blue Sky On Mars.' Perhaps this dash in innovation for the band is what eventually makes this album more than just a return to their roots. In similar fashion to Sweet's recent albums, the band is able to look back at the past while continuing to move slightly forward. Once I was able to put aside the direction the band was taking with 'Heavy Changes'  and follow their new path, this album quickly became one of my favorites from 1999.

XTC, "Apple Venus Volume One," TVT.

It was certainly exciting for fans to hear a new XTC album for the first time in 7 years. However, that long wait may be part of the reason why I don't really love this album, I just like it. The album is so laid back that it doesn't hit you like some of the band's best work. Don't get me wrong, it's great acoustic XTC, but it certainly lacks the intense upbeat pop feel of some of the best songs found on their last studio album, "Nonsuch." Taking Apple Venus for what it is, a mellow acoustic XTC album, it's still a fine pop album. "I'd Like That" shows Andy Partridge's mellow side at its best and "Your Dictionary" spruces things up a bit. Colin Moulding's songs are the weakest tracks here, a trend that began back on the Nonsuch album. His musical direction doesn't really jive well with Partridge's.

However, the album continues to grow on me as I listen to it and that's part of its appeal. It's certainly not immediate, but rewarding after several listens. "River of Orchids" is a fine example, a seemingly complex song with a strange melody and feel. One familiar with its structure will appreciate its strengths; a great pop melody with a unique arrangement. "The Greenman" features another interesting arrangement that is slowly becoming one of my favorite on the album. I still swear that it features a melody line taking straight from the verse of "Omnibus" on Nonsuch, although none of my friends seem to agree.  Apple Venus Volume Two supposedly will feature a more upbeat and electrified XTC and that's something to look forward to. Although if I had my way, I'd rather see the band release an album complete with mellow and upbeat songs intertwined. It's worked well on previous albums, especially Nonsuch and Skylarking. Overall, I'd recommend this one to XTC fans, especially after the 7 year drought of Andy Partridge's pop smarts.

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