February 22, 2004

Myracle Brah "Treblemaker"

I have realized a secret about Myracle Brah, and I'm shocked to tell you, because I know you are not going to believe me. They're fronted by John Lennon. That Andy Bopp name? Come on, doesn't it sound fake to you? The evidence may not be as overwhelming as it is about McCartney's tragic death, but believe me, it's here. Just listening to Treblemaker, their fifth album, proves it. Since he's been living in America since the 70s and he's older, the accent's kinda become less obvious. If "Be Your Lover," "Think About You" and "When She Comes Around" (which sounds a bit like "Drive My Car") don't sound like the witty Beatle, consider this lyric from "Climbing On A Star": "The moral of the story? There is no story." It's a bit absurd, isn't it? Not unlike Lennon, my friend.

And if by some rare chance that Andy Bopp isn't John Lennon, that's okay, because he's talented, and his music has that same kind of crunch--the kind that's missing from a lot of power pop today. There's more to being sensitive and romantic and emotional than 1-2-3 chords and a sentimentality that even Eric Carmen would turn his nose up at, and thankfully Myracle Brah doesn't succumb to the tendencies of pure and utter mediocrity of most post-1980 power pop. Too tough to be wimpy, I'm a bit reticent to call this 'power pop,' because that term automatically labels the music as 'weak,' which, my friend, is the last adjective I'd use to describe Treblemaker.

Myracle Brah possesses one of the worst band names ever, but don't let it prejudice you against the music, because that would be a major disservice to both you and main Myracle maker Andy Bopp. Treblemaker is a wonderfully confounding blast of fresh Sixties pop, made with nary a trace of that evil 'irony' thing. No, my friends, this isn't just another band with all of the records by the best of the 'B' bands, you know: Beatles, Beach Boys, Badfinger, Big Star. No, Myracle Brah is the real deal.

Of course they are. After all, Bopp is really John Lennon!

--Joseph Kyle

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