I first heard this band through a song called Hold Me Up a while back. Cool hooks, guitar sound, and melodies. This band has the distorted and jangly sound well mixed together. This song came off of the 1994 album Teenage Symphonies to God which is probably their best-known album. I have listened to this album a bunch and the songs sound like classic songs that have been forgotten.
Vocalist/bassist Paul Chastain and drummer Ric Menck are the band’s two constant members. They had previously worked together in 3 other bands…Choo Choo Train, Bag-O-Shells, and The Springfields in the 1980s.
Guitarist Jeffrey Underhill played with them on their first three albums. The album was produced by Mitch Easter who would produce R.E.M among other artists. He gets such a warm sound with Velvet Crush. Matthew Sweet has also worked with this band.
Chastain, Menck, and Underhill reunited in 2019 to tour.
Time Wraps Around You
To the summer of love, from the winter of fearSeasons change us around, the reasons not clearSo turn the pageTheir innocence can’t be savedBeginning again
Like the motions you make, the wave of your handLike the time that it takes to know that you canStanding byTo try and make you feel alright
This time wraps around youAnd I’ll wrap around youYou know I’ll stay
Through the summer of love, the winter so nearSeasons scatter good friends, and more every yearLooking backThen you findLearning thatIt’s time to leave the past far behind
You know it’s alrightThis time wraps around youAnd I’ll wrap around youThis time wraps around youAnd I’ll wrap around youThis time wraps around youAnd I’ll wrap around youThis time wraps around youAnd I’ll wrap around youThis time wraps around youAnd I’ll wrap around youKnow I’ll stay
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Quite nice southern jangly rock! I’ve never heard of them…when was it from? (Looking at the cool record covers, it looks like early-60s but obviously that was just the retro-marketing)
Whoops….I forgot to add 1994… it’s a good album. Yea they are into the retro stuff.
I liked the retro packaging… really fits that older sound.
I enjoyed this Max. The guitar playing is really good as you mentioned. Thank you.
The sounds mix together well in this.
Thanks for listening Lisa
My pleasure!
I’m such a sucker for catchy power pop. This piece, jangly guitars and all, really nails that feel-good “I’ll be There for You” vibe.
Yea we are similar in that… I go out and hunt for the next power pop tune.
Power Pop tune here thats for sure Max…
I like this tune, Max. And it’s mainly because of that guitar sound, which you perfectly described as distorted and jangly.
I’ve never checked this out for some reason – certainly in my zone. I know Rik Menck’s name from Matthew Sweet records.
I’ve listened to their earlier bands and they know how to make good pop music.
Totally off topic but I found out a cool thing yesterday. In June I noticed my New York Dolls post went up in numbers….that’s because Clem Burke of Blondie tweeted it…We have said something before…but you never know who is watching.
That’s really cool – he’s a great overlooked drummer.
A really nice song Max.