Sometimes you need a gentle push to revisit a release you all too readily dismissed in the onslaught of new music. In this case, and far from the first time, Josh Rutledge provided the nudge with the subject being The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club (BDSC). On their new record Please Stand By, BDSC operate as engineers building a suspension bridge between classic ’70s rock and early ’80s powerpop, ending on an observation post that looks out over some ’90s altpop.
If those three genres are not your cup o’ tea, look elsewhere. But if you are in the mood for some authentic guitar rock (RIYL Cheap Trick, Sloan, The Cars etc.), give this one a spin. I can’t help but believe a song like Pony Up would have lit a fire under ’70s arena crowds. And that Hold You Up and What They’re After would have been sure radio hits in the early ’80s, or that Joni, It’s Not Like That would not have looked out of place on any Fountains Of Wayne record.
Please Stand By was three years in the making and I dismissed it within minutes. I was wrong, but happy to have given it another try.
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp