It seems only days ago that I was raving about D.A. Stern's Aloha Hola, out now on Slumberland Records. And while that hype should certainly continue since that is a great record, it's time to crank up the enthusiasm again as D.A. Stern has offered up a brand-new EP featuring 2 originals and 2 choice covers.
Opener and title cut "Isn't It Obvious?" positively chimes. A distant sonic cousin to "Everything With You" from Slumberland Records legends The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, the track expands on the sort of power-pop found on Aloha Hola to offer up a fuzzier sort of indie-rock. Elsewhere, a cover of "Art School" from Frankie Cosmos sees Stern turn the number into a woozy bit of business that sounds a whole lot like "The Concept" from Teenage Fanclub to these ears, while "My Baby (Axe Nice)", originally by Mannequin Pussy, roars by on a bed of buzzsaw guitars. Closer "Tenafly Cop" finds Stern delivering an original that echoes both glam rock and early Cramps numbers.
Isn't It Obvious? may not be a long record but it is a superb one. A nice dessert treat following the feast of Aloha Hola, this new EP from D.A. Stern is a real gem, and the sort of thing that should please both fans of earlier Slumberland Records bands, as well as those who've come here for bright, modern American power-pop.
Isn't It Obvious? is out now via Slumberland Records.
More details on D.A. Stern via his official Facebook page.
[Photo: Christopher Chou]