Joe Giddings – Better From Here
The Beatles influence is in evidence throughout the entirety of Better From Here. Yet, Joe Giddings’ latest offering (on the Kool Kat label) is amazingly diverse. The melding of a variety of pop influences and brilliant, radio friendly production sensibilities make Better From Here really shine.
It might be the alt-country feel of “Always Raining Somewhere” or perhaps the guitar crunch and storyline of “Amity Horror” that’ll grab your attention. Maybe it’s the spot-on harmonies of “Gone So Far” or the Fountains of Wayne/Cars approach to “Tin Foil Crush” that’ll hook you. Maybe yet, it’ll be the muscular guitar of “Rock and Roll”. They’re all first rate.
Better from Here is all hook, swagger and smarts.
For me, it was “Irrelevant”. With guitar muscle out front, production and arrangement reminiscent of The Sweet or T-Rex and lyrics that flow effortlessly (but carry a mighty wallop), Giddings boils everything down to it’s most impactful ingredients. It’s all hook, swagger and smarts.
And did I mention that he can really, really sing.
Every once in a while I hear someone say “they just don’t make ‘em like they used to”. Next time someone says that to you, hand them a copy of Joe Giddings’ latest. You can pre-order your copy at Kool Kat Musik. Release date is September 18.
Very interesting. Joe originally issued this in 2016, tho with 11 songs, one not on this release. Haven’t yet compared the songs to see if they’re redone/remixed.
Removed: Torn Apart
New: Alone But As One & Billy Said The F-Word.
Thanks for that note. I had not been aware of that.
Miguelito is correct in that these songs have been released in a different form as an album by the same title ONLY on Bandcamp. No label. No fanfare. And it was pulled from Bandcamp no more than 2-3 weeks after being put online. Some folks bought it and liked it as it was, but I was not happy.
This is a new release, in my mind, as it never sounded right to me…until now. Yup, a lot of the same songs, but it sounds very different, and, yes, there are new songs and one was removed.
In no way was I trying to make it seem any different than this album I’ve been struggling with for years is finally ready for the world. I hope that makes sense.
Hey Joe – Great album! Thanks so much for re-releasing it and for stopping by with the clarification. What an album!