JAMIE HOOVER & BILL LLOYD
Paparazzi (Paisley Pop)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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Ultra-pleasant guitar-pop from longtime indie fixtures Bill Lloyd (Foster & Lloyd) and Jamie Hoover (Sponge Tones, The Van Delecki's) that hits way more often than it misses. They get into a great little power groove on "The Buck Stops Here" and play it tough with a slamming rhythm on "Screen Time." Nearly everything on Paparazzi is something most bands would kill to come up with. Every power pop band dreams of concocting something like "Better Left Alone," an absolutely perfect song with a memorable melody, flawless harmonies and a just the right number of musical and vocal hooks. There's even a harmonica, far enough back in the mix to be intriguing without being overbearing. It's that rarest of creatures: the perfect pop song that doesn't sound as if it's calculated to be just that. Happily, there's been a lot of this kind of music being recorded again lately, and much of it has been quite good and well worth listening to. Now and then something like Hoover and Lloyd's album comes out and reminds you that there's still a big difference between first and second tier.

© 2004 - DJ Johnson