Edward Rogers – Porcelain (Zip)

Birmingham, England-to-NYC singer/songwriter Edward Rogers has up to now been known for crisp, jangly, British Invasion-inspired pop tunes – not for nothing was his last LP called Sparkle Lane. For Porcelain, Rogers moves forward from the 60s and into the early 70s, especially the Rolling Stones-style glam rock balladry of Mott the Hoople. With his scratchy, *Ian Hunter*esque rasp and his ability to compress grand concepts into intimate singalongs, Rogers doesn’t so much copy his childhood heroes on “Link to the Chain” and “The Biba Crowd” so much as distill their essence down to a steaming-hot draught of liquid rock/pop.

There’s more to this record than Hoople fandom, however. “Tears Left in the Bottle” and “Nothing Too Clever” return to the delicate Britpop sweetness of his earlier records, while the noisy rockers “Separate Walls” and “Topping the World” (an angry political rant) roil with a combination of indie immediacy and barband power. In addition Rogers indulges in droning psychedelia in “Fashion Magazine” and, on the opposite end of the scale, blasts through the straightforward classic rocker “Diamonds Amour’ like Guided By Voices minus the bullshit. Aided by a contingent of NYC rock royalty, including collaborator Don Piper, Velvet Monkeys and Gumball guitarist Don Fleming, former Sparks and Milk ‘n’ Cookies bassist Sal Maida, Loser’s Lounge pianist Joe McGinty, Kennedys guitarist Pete Kennedy and former Bongos and Health & Happiness Show and current Ian Hunter guitarist James Mastro, Rogers crafts a timeless record of nostalgia-flavored – but not retro – rock & roll.

http://www.edwardrogersmusic.com