Dennis Diken with Bell Sound
(Cryptovision)
If ever there were a 10-star pop ("psych"-, "power"- or otherwise) album this year, Late Music just may be the one-it's that jawdroppingly good. In a glorious wash of vocals, guitar-keyboard interplay and USDA grade-A percussion, Smithereens drummer Dennis Diken plus pal Pete DiBella (with assists from producer Dave Amels, Andy Paley, Jason Falkner and members of the Wondermints) effortlessly summon images of classic British Invasion and its mid-‘60s SoCal analogue.
Playing spot-the-references is a joy: "The Sun's Gonna Shine in the Morning" marries Byrdsian harmonies to Who power chords; "I've Been Away" is a baroque mashup of Love, the Move and the Association; the harpsichord, sepulchral organ and complex vocal arrangement of "Fall Into Your Arms" is as pure a distillation of the Beach Boys as it gets. Hold that thought: the jaunty "Tell All the Fools" features none other than erstwhile Brian Wilson protégés the Honeys singing.
It's not like Diken and DiBella are self-consciously aiming for a vintage vibe, however. The impression you come away with is these guys simply dream in Technicolor and this is the soundtrack to those dreams.
Standout Tracks: "The Sun's Gonna Shine in the Morning," "I've Been Away" FRED MILLS
