Greg Pope – Rise of the Mythical Creatures

A Few Seconds of Fame, Guiding Star, Fanboy, Blue Ocean Sky.  In each of his nine albums, Greg Pope works in a recognizable style, incorporating unique pop sensibilities with unusually clever lyrical content. And yet, each album is very different. And while Rise of the Mythical Creatures may have that same stylistic similarity, it distinguishes itself in yet another way. It’s his best to date.

“Smile, Nod and Slowly Back Away” and the song that follows it, “Savior of the Local Rock Scene” are hooky slices of retro pop. Both remind me a little bit of 60’s glam right down to the over-enthusiastic guitar solos. They’re a blast.

The coup de grace here is “Sorry I Wrote This Song”. Upon first listen it feels like a very catchy, radio friendly song. Listen more carefully and it’s a pointed rebuke of group think. The juxtaposition of the subject matter and friendly melody make it the most interesting listen of the year. It’s textbook perfect pop.

The acoustic jangle of “Hold On to A Sunny Day” and the misdirection plays within “Looking Down” work only to cement my opinion. Greg Pope is one of the most interesting songwriters in power pop today. As if that weren’t enough, he did much more than just write the songs on his latest album. Guitars. Piano. Vocals. Harmonies. Everything else. They’re all Pope, too. Impressive, to say the least.

Greg Pope Sets the Bar High

Each week, I seem to find another excellent pop release. And Pope’s latest, Rise of the Mythical Creatures, may be the best power pop album of 2022 yet. Give it a listen. Tell me what you think. For me, this will be the disc all others are measured against for the foreseeable future.

Get your copy of Greg Pope’s Rise of the Mythical Creatures here. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.