Record Label: Not Lame
Genre: Power Pop
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com link

Jeff Shelton’s post-Spinning Jennies band The Well Wishers return with another beautifully crafted power-pop album just in time for the summer. Once again I’m floored at how good modern-day power-pop could be when done right, and how effortlessly and consistently the Well Wishers execute it.

On “How I Won the War,” The Well Wishers move away from the Beatles/Hollies-styled harmonies of their previous albums, but the bright hooks and feel-good jangliness remain. Even when they add alternarock bite (“Hope Is Fading”), REM brooding (“After Dark”), or driven fuzzrock (“The Optimist”), the wistful vocals and clean melodies cut through and keep you firmly entranced.

The Well Wishers are sharp, clear, mature, confident, and genuine. They are engaging without resorting to the gimmicks of Starlight Mints; they are feel-good pop without the mainstream pandering of Fountains of Wayne or Matthew Sweet. They are the best-kept secret in power-pop.

Be sure to check out “Seashells,” “The Optimist,” the Bunnymen-ish “Broken Glass” and the hidden track – a fantastic cover of Chameleons UK’s “Nostalgia.” But of course you will, because you’re getting this album.

Bottom Line: Power pop perfection.
Notable Tracks: All of them!
Overall Rating: