California power pop has its own special flavor – cheery, bright, sparkling. Even when it’s melancholy, it still goes down like melted ice cream. The latest entry in this long and distinguished logbook comes from Jordan Jones. Playing and singing everything himself in the Todd Rundgren tradition, Jones packs his ten-song debut with winsome tunes that stick to the ear like honey from a comb. “My Somebody” is a perfect example – the combination of a soaring melody and the author’s innocent pleading for love lifts the song straight from the vinyl and into the stratosphere. And that’s far from the only gem – the propulsive rocker “Rumors Girls,” the alluring midtempo popster “How to Be,” the solo acoustic overture “Do You Want to Hang Out” and the sly come-on “Wrote You a Song For Me” would all qualify as hit singles in an alternate universe. Jones’ high, grainy voice – reminiscent of Danny Wilde in the Quick, or Justin Strauss from Milk ‘n’ Cookies – hugs each song’s euphony close, conveying the lyrics without irony or pretense, and his ability to tastefully play off his own tracks gives the illusion of an actual band. Jones is no deep thinker, but pop this gleaming doesn’t require existential wanderings anyway. Besides, as young as Jones appears to be, he can only get better, which is part of what makes this irresistible debut special.
