Powerpop Review: The Connection – Labor of Love

Earlier this year. Brad Marino and Geoff Palmer teamed up with Kurt Baker to put out one of the year’s best powerpop EPs as The New Trocaderos. Marino and Palmer follow up that effort with another slice of Chuck Berry style power pop with The Connection’s latest full-length release entitled Labor of Love.

Labor of Love has more than it’s share of grade “A” songs as well as near miss here and there.

The 1st song and title track explodes out of the gate at the tempo of “Heart of the City” but thematically, its closer to “A1 of the Jukebox” (if you don’t know these songs, then you’re reading the wrong blog). “So Easy” has a nice Stones-like feel to it. The piano part of the bridge along with the Keith Richards-like guitar part suit this song perfectly. “Circles” is on the garage pop side of powerpop and another winner, reminding me a bit of a Chevelles song. The jangly guitars and irresistible chorus of “Pathetic Kind of Man” make this track one of the album’s best.

While there are some near-misses here, the disc is dominated by catchy, memorable songs. So if you need your fix of Dave Edmunds and Chuck Berry riffs, pick this one up. You can get it here.