Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Retrograde Pop - It Was Only Yesterday

Hear The Track Here

Now, let's see if I cram these terrifying facts into your brains. Retrograde Pop is the risen ghost of many summers past. In fact, it is a snapshot of the activity of one 18 year old Cameron Bastedo. Wait a sec though, the Cam we know as Cam's Even Song (my Artist Of The Year 2006 btw) has got to be - what - 102 years old or something. Are these the same people? Well kinda/sorta. The output of Retrograde Pop is comprised as songs Cam wrote when he was at that delicate age, or at least the ones he can still remember. I reviewed In A Little While (September 2006) and absolutely loved it, but there again I admit to a mighty bias.

It Was Only Yesterday is pure Cam, vintage or otherwise, that relaxed countryfied delivery is nectar for my ears. See, I happen to really like the whole Dylan thing, as a lyricist/poet and as a radical and inspired musician and the one musical reference that can be used most often about Cam is that he sounds like the man. He's also got the songwriting touch you also associate with Dylan and The Beatles (the other main influence), his lyrics are usually meaningful and often very powerful - even though the music has it's own lightness of being. Far as I am concerned, that's a mark of how professional Cam is about all this and all the more reason to savour his entire output.

There is a country bob to this track that I found immediately likeable, but remember that I consider this artist one of Soundclick's finer exponents of great indie music. A mountain of bias for sure. However, most punters I know (Ed: I pray he means listeners) want a couple of things from their 'choons', a good chorus and a feel-good quality about the music and that just about describes this track to a T. However, because of that bias I mentioned, it takes a special Cam track to knock me on my butt and It Was Only Yesterday isn't that. Not that anyone would notice because it sure as **** blows holes out of the competition.

Highly Recommended Pop.

No comments: