I'd Like to Write a Happy Song

Drummers in the spotlight? It brings on the inevitable and usually not well-intentioned comparison to a certain Richard Starkey. But being the huge Jellyfish fans we are at Too Poppy, we know just how much of a creative force drummers can be.

Case in point: Kevin McAdams. Kevin is the drummer for the well-liked NYC indie band Elefant and for whatever reason, Kevin felt an urge to get out from behind the skins and record his own album. We're the better for it.

I'm struck immediately by the similarities to Jason Falkner - big sound, bigger melodies, great lyrics. And while Jason fumbles around with Japanese releases and long-delayed domestic albums, we can satiate our hunger for delicious yet nutritious pop by engorging on It's My Time To Lose My Mind over and over and over again. Just try and resist all the "la-las" on this album!

Unlike Falkner who logically puts his guitar front and center, McAdams does what you'd expect a drummer to do - he gets all rhythmic on our asses and plugs in the keyboard to boot! This adds a delightfully retro feel ala ELO and sets you into a groove you'll be hard-pressed to get out of. In fact, Leave Us Alone would fit perfectly on the excellent LEO album from two years ago. The production is clean and the songs well-crafted. And in a rarity these days, it's an album that gets stronger with each song and with every listen. It's hard to pick standouts in a sea of standouts, but A Different Kind of Love Song and My Time are sure to make it in my iPod's heavy rotation.

But right when you think you have this guy figured out, he gets HEAVY on the final track, Turn the Lights Off. Awesome. Believe it or not, that particular track makes me imagine what Tool would sound like with some melodic influence from Marilyn Manson. Then again, perhaps my senses are swirling after listening to one of the best albums I've heard all year. I can't wait to listen to it again.

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