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With this follow up of the full length, “In a Confusing Futuristic Bar”, the COOLHEADS are back with three new delightful tunes of their brand of powerpop rock n roll. The A side “Feels Like A Dream” is right on par with the exquisite song writing we’ve come to expect from this six piece powerhouse. Catchy and soulful with THIN LIZZY-esque guitar leads and delicate melodies. Side B begins with a faster, shorter number laden with keyboards, channeling their straight up punk roots while maintaining pure catchy pop melody. Wrapping up this slab is the “Black Water Commercial”, a quick jingle for the label/record shop/venue/bar/vegan restaurant. As this is a Blackwater release, it is impossible to not be biased, but accompanied with the video for said song, they really encapsulate what Black Water has to offer in Portland, Oregon! This will definitely be the poppiest release on the label this year, so if you crave CHEAP TRICK, DICTATORS, BRIAN ENO, and the Stiff Records catalog mixed into your punk, this one’s for you.
Our take: Black Water Records brings us a new three-song single from this Portland garage-punk band. While there’s plenty of poppy stuff in Black Water’s discography, the a-side here, “Just Like a Dream,” feels like a long way from the hardcore and crust the label is better known for. I mean, it’s loud and brash, but it’s also earnest and pretty, with a kind of mushroom-afterglow affect that is the audio equivalent to film shot in golden light. I don’t listen to much music in the Ty Segall / neo-garage mold, but I’d be surprised if much of it is better than this track. Following up that monster song, “Contrarian” is noisier and punkier, with guitars pulling ahead of the vocals for a Damned / Adverts-inspired sound, and “Black Water Commercial” is just what it says on the tin. In and out, pop banger with two short stabs to follow it up, classic punk single style.