Billy Tibbals’ debut single left us wanting more, and we didn’t have to wait long. The Stay Teenage EP has six new hits by Billy Tibbal that are built on a steady foundation of ’70s powerpop, glam rock’n’roll and ’60 psych. That in itself may not be unique, but wait until you hear what Tibbals makes of it. Billy Tibbals appears to be born with a natural gift for melody and hooks. And his songs have a bold almost theatrical like quality. Listen to Hollywood Baby for example, a song that opens with a ’70s Springsteenesque piano and string parts and then slowly builds towards a huge glamrock chorus. Or what about All For You, a song where Tibbals within 5 seconds exclaims “All Right!,” which is exactly what I was thinking after that short and tasty opening.
Are we witnessing the emergence of a rock star in an era where the rock star seems all but extinct? I wouldn’t put it past Billy Tibbals. It is telling that, after a chance encounter in a bar, Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes) invited Tibbals to record the EP in a legendary recording studio. The yields are excellent. Billy Tibbals has never sounded better and he is only just getting started. The Stay Teenage EP is out now on 12″ through Silver Arrow Records.
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