The Sound He Appears To Make

Harm's Way by Ducks Ltd. 

Three new albums to consider.

Ducks Ltd. - Harm’s Way

Vocalist-bassist Tom McGreevy and lead guitarist-drums programmer Evan Lewis of the duo Ducks Ltd. are from Toronto, Canada, but have found a warm welcome since moving to Chicago. That includes their song “Hollowed Out” picking up airplay on WXRT. Several local musicians pitched in during the recording of Ducks Ltd.’s  2023 album Harm’s Way, which evokes vintage R.E.M. and The Cure with melodic, guitar-driven arrangements and mysterious and melancholy lyrics. To quote the Ducks Ltd. Bandcamp page, the music reflects “the near-impossibility of keeping a level head when everything around you seems to be falling apart.” In addition to “Hollowed Out,” highlights include “Train Full Of Gasoline,” “Deleted Scenes,” and “A Girl, Running.”

Aerial - Activities Of Daily Living

Despite being the first album from Aerial since Why Don’t They Teach Heartbreak In School? dropped ten years ago, Activities Of Daily Living finds the Glasgow, Scotland band in top form. The songwriting duo of Colin Cummings and Mackie Mackintosh once again craft clever, off-kilter lyrics set to well-crafted power pop arrangements, particularly on energetic gems such as the title track, “An Encore And A Cover Song,” and “Bad Tattoo.” “I Bet You Know Karate” will have listeners clapping their hands instead of breaking boards, while “Hollywood Ghosts” finds the duo taking a lush sound, melodic approach. 

The Cyrkle - Revival

Fans of melodic pop tunes from a certain era will be glad to see vocalist-guitarist Don Dannemann and vocalist-keyboards player Mike Losekamp from 1960s hitmakers The Cyrkle have released a new album. Six of the thirteen tracks on Revival were written by either Dannemann or Losekamp, and they get expert assistance from former Ohio Express bassist-vocalist Dean Kastran and three other musician-vocalists. Dannemann’s autobiographical “We Were There” celebrates The Cyrkle’s earliest days, and there’s also a faithful cover of Simon And Garfunkel’s “59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy).” “Goin’ Steady With You” and  “Dance With Me Tonight” reach further back for a 1950s vibe, while “We Thought We Could Fly” explores a more psychedelic approach. Revival also includes 21st Century Versions of The Cyrkle hit singles “Turn Down Days” and “Red Rubber Ball.”