Mike Shupp
The Key
(Private Mind Records)
Hailing from Washington, DC, Mike Shupp (formerly Big Bang Theory and Nickel) has opened for Tommy Keene in the past. Now, it is not typical for something like that to leave a lasting impression. But in the case of Mike Shupp, one can say that the power-pop veteran did somewhat influence his second album, The Key. Which is really nothing bad, since Keene is an excellent songwriter. Mike Shupp also has this delicate feel for to-the-point power pop numbers that don’t carry the word “power” for nothing. Songs like “Keep Me Waiting”, “The Key”, “Right Through Me” are played with a real edge and have hooks that one is always happy to hear again. The last could even come from Husker Du if the guitar were more intense. Here and there, for example in “My Life”, one can also find a dash of the Replacements in the songs.
Robert Pally
( 8/2/2001 )
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