Review: Marissa Levy “63 Songs About Joe” [EP]

Pop rock
Silly love songs – what’s wrong with that? Nothing, if Marissa Levy is the one singing them. Born in my home state of Maryland and honing her songwriting and musical chops in New York, Levy is a pop rock dream come true. But the first thing you’re probably wondering is how short these songs must be if she squeezed 63 of them onto a single EP? Well, she may have written 63 songs about Joe, but only 5 made the cut here.

It has been five years since Levy’s last effort, “Charmed and Dangerous”. For her new EP, she recruited power pop guru Mike Viola, who has been featured here on BMF many times. Viola’s talents are the perfect match for Levy’s songwriting skills – the production is excellent and the backing vocals are outstanding. Viola has cast the same magical spell on Levy’s craft that he’s done for Kelly Jones and Mandy Moore – pure pop wizardry. Levy’s vocals are sweet as chocolate and you’ll hear copious amounts of Beatles and Beach Boys influences in her tunes.

You couldn’t ask for a better springtime song than the perky feel-good opener, “A Love Song”. Levy’s folky side leaks through to good effect on the milder “Growing Up To Do” – her fragile yet firm vocal, the backing vocal accents, and enchanting melody make this one another favorite. She could be mistaken for Lisa Loeb on the tender and catchy “Heartbreak Liar”. “The Magic” is also beautifully crafted with a mild retro feel and more trademark Viola harmonies. Rounding out this set is “Breathing Fire” – a perfect example of how an artist can get a little darker without compromising on melody.

There isn’t a bad apple in the bunch. All I can say to sum up…bring on the other 58 songs! “63 Songs About Joe” was released on April 5 - you can order it through her web site.

Marissa Levy on MySpace. Official site.

Listen to “A Love Song”

Review: Ned Brower “Great To Say Hello”

Most of us know Ned Brower as the drummer and a vocalist for one of our favorite power pop bands, Rooney (see reviews here). Brower also has some modeling and acting credits under his belt (Big Fat Liar, Dawson’s Creek, Not Another Teen Movie), and now the multitasker is testing the waters with a solo record.

Brower’s debut record, ““Great To Say Hello”, was produced by none other than pop maestro Mike Viola, who put his indelible stamp on many of these songs. There are plenty of catchy hooks and ear pleasing harmonies to go around, more than enough to satiate any fan of Rooney, but Brower injected enough of himself into the record to make it a clear standout from Rooney material. In general, the record is peppy and bright, like the cover art. “Underneath Your Spell” is a sublime classic pop gem with a hint of 70s bubblegum flavor. You’ll fall in love with its bouncy melody and the warm and fuzzy harmonies. Other pop rocking highlights include “Hide Your Secrets Away” and “The Alleyway”. “Mine and Mine Alone” is also a standout, breaking up the stream of power pop with a funky groove and juicy chorus that will win you over in a heartbeat. I’m also a sucker for father-son tunes, so have to give props to “Father To Son”.

Given the outstanding solo albums from Taylor Locke and now Brower, it gives us a greater appreciation of the massive talent tied up in Rooney. Lucky for us fans of power pop, this abundance of talent can be dealt out in more than one venue.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8

Ned Brower on MySpace. Official site. Get it on iTUNES.

Listen to “Underneath Your Spell”