It Must Be…The Rallies

When we last heard The Rallies, it was 2019. Upside Down, had a plethora of single worthy tracks and one of that year’s best in “If You Do”. The bar has been raised higher still with their latest, It Must Be…The Rallies.

One can hear hints of a some power pop bands of the past in much of what they do. Take the opening track for example. “It Must Be Love” is reminiscent of so many of the early 80’s to 90’s Chicago area power pop bands (The band is not from the midwest but rather, Seattle). From the opening guitar jangle through the hand claps and fade ending, I heard The Beatifics, 20/20, 92 Degrees and to a lesser extent, The Blow Pops. If I had been told that this was a Jeff Murphy produced record (which it is not), I may have taken the bait.

And the producer is….

Another favorite is “Out Of The Blue”. I especially like the way the lyrics jump a beat at one point, creating a tension not unlike the kind of thing we’d hear in a Shoes record from back in the day.

It’s worth noting that It Must Be…The Rallies is produced by Johnny Sangster. You may recognize his name from his work with The Posies, Mudhoney or Supersuckers. Some know him best as one fourth of the last remaining pub rock band, The Tripwires. Sangster does a great job with production as guitar jangle, keyboards and harmonies added in just the right way as to give each composition a little extra of oomph.

Get It Must Be…The Rallies on Digital or CD

It Must Be…The Rallies is not to be missed. In fact, it’s an early top ten for the year. Get your copy at Apple Music, Amazon Music or anywhere fine music is sold.