Khalid Hanifi was the leader of Maypops a fine, fine pop band with a penchant for commercial, mass-appeal music but on this solo album, "Pamplemouse Presse" Hanifi perfects his craft - and further extends the potential of reaching many, many people. Fans of The Grays, Toy Matinee, Kevin Gilbert and The Odds - just listen up here, please. All the material here is highly-textured, carefully craftyed and maximized for power-impact - and it all works with luminous lustre and superior shine. "Hanifi has an uncanny gift for melodic intervals that ring true to the ear. And he knows when to repeat these lines to grab and keep your attention. At the same time, he doesn`t rely on any standardized pop-song construction. Most tunes include a significant change of tempo and style partway through, and few songs offer a definitive chorus. Hanifi`s clear and pretty vocals hit high notes better than lows, reminding me of a young Paul McCartney."-ArborPop. ""His solo debut is another winner, sure to appeal to fans of the poppier side of Elvis Costello, The Odds, and David Grahame. `Mr. Wonderful` is a midtempo number is quite reminiscent of the recent Rip Off artists release. `When You Wake Up`, another fine track, is piano-based with a stacatto guitar hook that just won`t quit. The soft pop of `I`m Gonna Dedicate This One to You` gives way to the lovely `Hard to Believe`, which features fine harmony vocals from his sister Sophie. Meanwhile, the bouncy `Truck` should satisfy anyone`s power pop jones, and `Don`t Hurry Me` offers up a bluesy vibe, and perhaps the disc`s high point comes with the combo of `July` and `Idiot Box`: the former glides along on an effortless melody, while the latter cuts like a lost Posies track. A quality addition to anyone who values smart, sophisticated pop in the vein of the artists mentioned above." - AbsolutePowerPopBlog. Songs like `July` and `Idiot Box` play out like Fountains Of Wayne deep cuts. He pulls off something any pop songwriter could admire, drawing from the pop palette without resorting to pop clich�©, and effortlessly blending excellent hooks with solid song craftsmanship. Solidly listenable from beginning to end, and in fact (whether I like it or not) remains pretty listenable in my head when the songs get stuck there. Very catchy stuff." - DisassociatedPress. Yes - you got it - EXTREMELY Highly Recommended, no apologies.
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