{"id":901,"date":"2020-05-08T20:46:24","date_gmt":"2020-05-08T20:46:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/?page_id=901"},"modified":"2020-05-08T20:46:24","modified_gmt":"2020-05-08T20:46:24","slug":"its-karma-its-cool-woke-up-in-hollywood","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/its-karma-its-cool-woke-up-in-hollywood\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s Karma It’s Cool: Woke Up In Hollywood"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Woke Up In Hollywood is <\/em>available for purchase from Kool Kat Musik<\/em><\/a><\/strong>. Album art by Mick Dillingham<\/strong>. <\/em>It’s Karma It’s Cool<\/em><\/strong> are James Styring,\u00a0Martyn Bewick, Mikey Barraclough<\/strong>, and <\/em>Danny Krash<\/em><\/strong>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

“Woke Up In Hollywood”<\/strong> is the eagerly anticipated follow-up to It’s Karma It’s Cool’s <\/strong>inaugural EP, “Hipsters And Aereoplanes.”<\/strong> It includes both sides of their recent Big Stir Records Digital Single<\/strong>, “Wooden Buddha \/ Ghosts Of Rome,”<\/strong> previously reviewed on this site<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The album is graced with guest appearances by Rex Broome<\/strong> from The Armoires<\/strong> (12 string guitar on <\/em>“Healer’s Leap”<\/em><\/strong>)<\/em>, Lannie Flowers<\/strong> (guitar on <\/em>“The Girl Who Gave You Everything”<\/em><\/strong>)<\/em>, and Brian Barry <\/strong>from The Flaming Cortinas<\/strong> (harmonica on <\/em>“Healer’s Leap”<\/em><\/strong>)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opening track, “Our Love Is An Amplifier,”<\/strong> is a great representation of this band’s strengths…lively, guitar-driven pop, accented with what I believe is some woodblock percussion, great vocals, and…at the 2:19 mark…a fake ending! There’s a sweet solo guitar interlude before the song chugs back into full gear and a harmony-filled, energetic closing. “We are what we are tonight, hold tight”<\/em>…indeed. A fantastic opener.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pictured above: Jim Styring.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

“Bubblegum Monsters<\/strong>” is a tuneful, light-hearted, harmony-filled pure pop outing that makes ample use of this band’s gift for wordplay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The title track, “Woke Up In Hollywood,”<\/strong> is wonderfully bittersweet, with some twangy, Duane Eddy<\/strong>-ish guitar, and response vocals worthy of any of the best Brian Wilson<\/strong> compositions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lannie Flowers’<\/strong> guitar super-charges “The Girl Who Gave You Everything,” <\/strong>and Rex Broome<\/strong> adds great depth and texture to “Healer’s Leap.”<\/strong> with a touchstone to the EP (“…as the hipsters scurry around…”<\/em>), it’s like you’re eight miles high with both feet on the ground. The “la la las” and Brian Barry’s<\/strong> harmonica add a nice Beatlemania touch to another winning track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Battle Of Burnt Out Bliss”<\/strong> is a real surprise, opening with a moody electric guitar, with a building intensity, orchestral flourishes, some Flamenco guitar, proving that the band is not operating from a singular turf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The closer, “Sunflowers,”<\/strong> is a perfect choice to bring the show to a close, with all of the strengths you’ve heard on the previous 11 tracks brought into full play, with a great guitar song, full and robust, as the song glides to a soft landing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Hipsters And Aeroplanes” <\/strong>raised the question “This is great, wonder what they’d do with a full album?” That question’s now been answered…It’s Karma It’s Cool has delivered a solid, tuneful, thoughtful and engaging work of art. Here’s to many more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Woke Up In Hollywood” is the eagerly anticipated follow-up to It’s Karma It’s Cool’s inaugural EP, “Hipsters And Aereoplanes.” It includes both sides of their recent Big Stir Records Digital Single, “Wooden Buddha \/ Ghosts Of Rome,” previously reviewed on this site. The album is graced with guest appearances by Rex Broome from The Armoires… <\/p>\n

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