Mikal Cronin - MCIII (Merge, 2015)

Mikal Cronin
MCIII
Merge
2015

Rating: 7.5 hemorrhagic pails out of 10

Can something be slightly disappointing and totally great at the same time?  Because that's how I feel about this most recent Mikal Cronin record, "MCIII."  By most measures it's an ambitious, big pop album...the only problem is he released one of the best pop albums of the past decade in 2013 with "MCII."  While I instantly loved this new one, it's just not quite as good as it's predecessor, and it's difficult not to compare.  "MCIII" is still better than almost everything else of it's ilk though.  There isn't a 1-2 punch as strong as "MCII" openers "Weight" and "Shout It Out," but this new record does have a shitload more instrumentation and what appears to be a six-part pop opera or something of that nature.  Make no mistake I'm going to listen to this a lot...but probably not as much as the other one.

Mikal Cronin / Superchunk - Split 7'' (Merge, 2014)

Mikal Cronin / Superchunk
Split 7''
Merge
2014

Rating:  9 happy faces out of 10

The other seven inch from the January/February delivery of the Merge subscription series. As you can sorta tell from the photo, it's on bright pink vinyl - it really pops a lot brighter in person.  Unlike the other seven inch, where both tracks were covers, this offers all original material.  Side A is a very catchy track from Mikal Cronin, sounding very much like it would be right at home on his previous full-length of garage pop "MCII."  The other side is a new song from Superchunk called "Good Morning" that also sounds in line with their fantastic record from last year "I Hate Music," in fact I really wish it was on there so I could listen to it all the time and not just when I'm pulling out records.  As with the other subscription single, this isn't available in stores so you're going to have to track down a used copy somewhere. 

Mikal Cronin - MCII (Merge, 2013)

Mikal Cronin
MCII
Merge
2013

Rating: 8.5 golden turnips out of 10

It's so nice to see some of the kids embracing pure pop as an art form, and Mikal Cronin is one of the best up-n-comers on the scene.  He gets street cred through his connection to Ty Segall, but his music is much more polished and straight-forward than most of the material in that garage-pop-punk scene.  Mikal is writing music that would sound at home on a Teenage Fanclub record, or before that a Big Star record, or before that a Beach Boys record.  Ok, the guitars are maybe a little heavy for the Beach Boys, but the hooks are definitely there.  His self-titled first album was a great start, but "MCII" is a huge step forward in my book.  Was it maturation?  Merge money?  Sheer luck?  I don't know and I don't care, so long as I get to keep listening to this record over and over and over.  If this album isn't near the very top of my year end list come December, that means the last half of this year is going to be one of the greatest new music time periods ever. 

Various Artists - Record Store Day 2012 4-Way Covers Split 7'' (Trouble in Mind, 2012)

Various Artists

Record Store Day 2012 4-Way Covers Split 7''

Trouble in Mind

2012

Rating: 7 crusty baguettes out of 10

The title kinda says it all, bu here are the details - Side A has Mikal Cronin covering The Banana Splits “I Enjoy Being A Boy” and Apache Dropout covering Harry Nilsson‘s “Cuddly Toy”; Side B has The Paperhead covering Tyrannosaurus Rex’s “Stacey Grove” and The Liminanas covering The Troggs “Come Now.”  Side A is particularly strong as it's always great to hear a new version of "Cuddly Toy."  I had never heard either of the Side B bands before, but these are both fine additions to the collection if not quite as strong as the first side - the Limianas have a great guitar sound though and I'll be interested in searching for more by them.  This might be hard to find as it was a pretty limited release, but worth a listen. 

Mikal Cronin - Mikal Cronin (Trouble in Mind, 2011)

Mikal Cronin

Mikal Cronin

Trouble in Mind

2011

Rating: 7.5 future pomegranates out of 10

Mikal Cronin might be usually get lumped in with the Bay Area garage rock crowd because of his work with Ty Segall, but this self-titled debut album by him is a pop record.  Yeah, it might get a little fuzzy from time to time, but this is pop through and through.  Lot's of oohs and aahs and tra-la-las and a million moments where you want to sing along with the man.  The one-two punch of "Is It Alright" and "Apathy" is one of the best intros to a performer that I've heard since Superdrag's "Slot Machine" and "Phaser" on "Regretfully Yours".

That's not to say the record doesn't rock out as well, with "Green and Blue" and "Gone" two fine examples where the guitars and tempo get turned up.  But the main impression is that of a young man who has a strong sense of melody, hooks, and sucking people like me into listening to their album many times in a row.  

As a side note,that flute you hear in the opening track "Is It Alright" - none other than Bay area wildman John Dwyer.  Is this a signal that his band Thee Oh Sees will soon be taking a Jethro Tull turn towards flute prog-rock?  Let's just assume the answer is yes.