When guitarist/songwriter Kurt Bloch retired the Fastbacks, it didn’t lessen his commitment to witty punk/pop. Thee Sgt. Major III (which also includes drummer Mike Musburger, late of the Fastbacks, Posies and Supersuckers, bassist Jim Sangster from the Young Fresh Fellows and singer Leslie Beattie from Flatpack) picks up the baton passed on by Bloch’s original band and runs joyously to the finish line. On The Idea Factory, that means exuberant pop melodies derived from 60s sources, lyrics that delight in wordplay and middle-aged angst and enough energy to light up the Western seaboard. “Battery Operated,” “New Painter Man” and the nervous “What Am I Gonna Do?” hit the hooky bulls-eye with deadly precision; “The Forgotten Three” adds a note of wistfulness without stinting on the vitamins. Anybody who loves melody, energy and smart songwriting will find The Idea Factory irresistible.
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