Bubblegum Lemonade
is the brainchild of Scottish pop obsessive
Laz McCluskey
, who handles nearly all the instrumental and vocal chores himself, and on his first full-length album, 2008's
Doubleplusgood
,
McCluskey
wore his indie pop influences on his sleeve for all to see and hear. On the second
album, cleverly titled
Sophomore Release
again wears his indie pop influences on his sleeve for all to see and hear; considering that the vast majority of his inspiration comes from acts at least 25 years old, expecting any striking changes in his approach would probably be foolish, and ultimately,
is another variation on the same themes
has offered us before. However, if
haven't changed much this time out,
is recognizably more accomplished and confident than the debut;
's wall of jangly guitars is more solid and his technique more precise, the percussion is more assured, the harmonies (which include vocals from
Sandra
of
Strawberry Whiplash
, one of
's other projects) blend better and add a gentle sweetness, and the songs hit their targets with greater accuracy.
's world begins with
the Byrds
and the invention of jangly folk-rock in the '60s and ends as the C-86 bands were fading out later in the '90s, but
's continued study of this body of work (and continued application of what he's learned) yields results that will please anyone who thrives on classic indie pop. Someone once said that
AC/DC
keep making the same album over and over, but since it's a great album, why quibble? It's not hard to see something similar happening with
.
's objects of fascination and his interpretation of their magic has been thoroughly consistent so far, but the results are two albums filled with fine songs played with intelligence and enthusiasm. So as long as the
Bubblegum
isn't broken,
need not fret about fixing it. ~ Mark Deming