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Jonathon Pop Levi has been around the scene for some time (yes, Pop is his middle name). UK born, now residing in LA, he was formerly a member of Liverpool band Super Numeri, while also spending time on tour with Ladytron.
An artist who cites influences from Prince to Marc Bolan to John Lennon to Jimi Hendrix - it was anyone’s guess how is solo debut would sound. But it is fair to say that while still paying homage to each of those mentioned, Pop Levi has developed his own sound – and in doing so, may have cracked the big-time.
Kicking off with ‘Sugar Assault Me Now’ and ‘Blue Honey’, we are treated to two irresistible slabs of glam rock – ‘astral rock n roll’ in Levi’s own words. You can’t help but get caught up with the infectious hand clapping beats.
From here he keeps up the momentum with the bubblegum pop of Pick-Me-Up Uppercut, probably the quintessential Levi track – bristling with a tongue in cheek strut. This is also likely to be the track that ‘breaks’ him in most markets.
In addition, Levi proves himself to be a master at pacing an album, effortlessly going from an up-tempo number to a slow tearjerker, without anything seeming out of place.
Now don’t get me wrong, The Return to Form Black Magick Party isn’t perfect. The eleven guitar driven tracks struggle to cover such a broad musical landscape – from acoustic rock, to pop, to psychedelic, to stomping rock-a-billy – inevitably there are tracks here that will polarise listeners.
But there is more than enough to persevere with here. If you are ready for the next wave in rock music, give Pop a try.
Essential Tracks
Suger Assault Me Now
Blue Honey
Pick-Me-Up Uppercut
Full Track Listing
1. Sugar Assault Me Now (3:00)
2. Blue Honey (4:03)
3. (A Style Called) Crying Chic (4:56)
4. Pick-Me-Up Uppercut (3:26)
5. Skip Ghetto (5:21)
6. Dollar Bill Rock (4:53)
7. Flirting (4:09)
8. Mournin' Light (3:32)
9. See My Lord (2:24)
10. Hades' Lady (4:25)
11. From the Day That You Were Born (3:46)
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