A solid second effort

by Jim Trageser
This review first appeared in Turbula in December 2007.

Less than a year after their debut, San Diego's The Modlins return with a another '60s mod-flavored slice of power pop goodness. The best news? The new album doesn't disappoint; it's clear the four men of the band had a ready storehouse of great songs left in the bin after their first release.

With three- and four-part vocal harmonies, clever word play, clean guitar-based arrangements and some of the most intoxicating little melodies you'll hear, this is every bit the equal of "Here's to Being Happy."

"She Won't Miss Me" is a near-perfect pop song: A melody that nestles into your ear like your hand into a pair of well-designed gloves; vocal harmonies to make you think John and Paul; noodling electric guitar that darts in and out of the melody line, riding atop the bubbling rhythm. It's got the kind of narcotic hold that a classic Herman's Hermits song would have – while still having the kind of contemporary power pop sensibility you'd hear in Fountains of Wayne or Wheezer.