CD Review: Kyle Urban & Rocket Bureau – Phantoms Ringing 67-73

We start off 2016 with Rocket Bureau‘s Phantoms Ringing 67-73, one of Kyle Urban’s numerous projects. I don’t have a great familiarity with Urban’s previous work but after hearing this release, I’ll have to make an effort to become familiar it. There’s some really fun stuff here.

The first thing a listener should know is that Phantoms Ringing 67-73 is a collection of singles that had been previously recorded with some brand new material added to fill out the collection. The variety of styles and influences make it appeal to a wide array of tastes.

As the title of the disc might suggest, Rocket Bureau borrows from a very rich period for pop (67-73, one would assume) and does so without being overly derivative at any point. The opening track, “Silhouette”, is a first rate, uptempo powerpop number. “Go Away Girl” is early British-invasion pop and a hook-filled gem. We get a little Sam Cooke with the track “Night Time”, followed by “She Dreams in Colors”, a psyche-pop single that fans of the Beatles’ Rubber Soul – Revolver period will no doubt enjoy. “Clarabelle” has a great Byrds vibe to it.

It’s been quite some timer since I heard a bubblegum track I liked. Well, that changed once I heard “Choosy Suzy”, a track that has all the trappings of a fine bubblegum song from the 60’s. Right out of the Chinn/Chapman playbook, It’s short, hooky and captures teenage social tensions quite well. Gotta love it.

That’s a rundown on just a few tracks but every one is a little different and all are worth hearing. Rocket Bureau’s Phantoms Ringing 67-73 is a very pleasant way to start the new year in power pop. Pick this one up from Kool Kat Musik.