Jon Solo - Elephant In The Room

Hear The Track Here

In strictly list rotational terms I should be doing three Larry Ludwick collaborations right now, but that I fear is more than too much for this mortal man so I charged hither and thither (as you do when in such melancholic states) trying to find some comfort, some solace for my aching heart. Where better to find such solace than in the more than capable musical hands of Jon Solo who, while being a long standing member of Soundclick, has only recently become known to me musically. His Circles (January 2011) a 'stupidly good' pop track that showed huge respect to its musical roots.

Elephant In The Room is, like its predecessor, a masterclass in how to write a pop song in the time honoured fashion and the influences I cited in my review of Circles (The Carpenters, The Beatles, ELO ) are still present, the Beatles more than anything else. What we are talking about here is music that derives from a time when music was much, much important to each and every one of us. When I look around the music I get through every month, it is actually very rare to hear something so unashamedly pop in the old school tradition and when it's done to this high standard, it's a pleasure indeed.

The thing about doing pure pop, as it were, is that it's a very difficult thing to pull off without sounding a) calculating or - maybe worse - b) twee and embarrassing. Both times Jon Solo has attempted it (so far) have been wonderful concoctions of my favourites instruments, blended with some great vocal harmony work (a staple of the genre and very noticeable if it is absent), and intricate and involved arrangement that belies the pop tag. All the very best tracks in this genre have been much deeper works than first appears and Elephant In The Room is a great example of that. Grow on you, it will...

MUST HAVE pop.