Sonic Crayons
Artist: Ken Sharp
Label: Indie
13 tracks
44 minutes
 
With Sonic Crayons, Ken Sharp has fashioned a rock solid confection loaded with layered vocals, George Harrison melodic, precise lead breaks, and hooky wonderful songs.  Face it, name dropping is easy here. Squeeze, Paul McCartney, Badfinger, Todd Rungren, and Queen. You will add more of your own. That said, as impossible as it seems, this work maintains an identity all its own. Sharp effectively has created his own pop planet here. Oh so clever, so musical,  and always tuneful. Sharp is surrounded by the talents of ex-Wanderlust and Skies of America leader, Rob Bonfiglio, Carnie Wilson, and Chip Z'Nuff and Donnie Vie from Enuff 'Z Nuff.

A tip to Cheap Trick with opener "Hello, Hello" starts things off with a bit of a cliched bang. Next up, "The Man Who Couldn't Be Wrong" is a perfect example of a modern day Lennon/McCartney collaboration. A melodic, sarcastic, twisting, turning "Hey Jude" arrangement.  

"Better Every Day" steals the spotlight here. Chock full of encouraging lyrics (release yourself to a better way/save it for another day, c'mon! you're fantastic),  phased acoustic guitars morph into Rickenbachers. A production trick ends this one too soon. 

"Why Girls Cry," a ballad in the early Todd Rundgren style, would be near perfect if it wasn't for some annoying keyboard warbling for about 30 seconds at the opening and over the lovely tag at the end of the song. A nice beautiful melody and sentiment.

Some say Sharp's vocals are an acquired taste. A touch of helium in his atmosphere, yes. A tad too cute at times, but spot on perfect and the background vocals are gorgeous.

Sharp describes his third CD as somewhat darker than his others. Apparently he was going through some tough times during the recording, but it doesn't seem somber to me at all. In fact it seems redemptive from all angles. If you're a fan of Beatlesque power pop, _Sonic Crayons_ is for you.

Sharp was appeared on such albums Yellow Pills: The Best Of American Power Pop Volume One, Right To Chews: Bubblegum Classics Revisited, Pure Pop For Cool People, Six Years of Power Pop! and tribute albums for The Beach Boys and Raspberries. He has contributed  instrumental music to documentaries on Led Zeppelin, Queen and The Knack and his song "Underground" was used for Disney commercial. He has also co authored a book on one of his idols, Raspberries Tonight. 
 
Bob Felberg