Short Reviews [Jeremy - 2023 - "High Fidelity"]

Here we have yet another in the series of albums by Jeremy Morris (Jeremy, The Lemon Clocks, The Jeremy Band ) and Ken Stringfellow (The Posies, Big Star, R.E.M. ) with Jeremy providing the songs, vocals and guitars, and Ken vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass and drums. Released in October 2023, this is the most recent album I have of Jeremy, who has only released two more solo albums and one by The Lemon Clocks since this came out. How he manages to maintain such a prodigious output along with quality control has been a mystery to me ever since he started sending me cassettes thirty years ago, but while the medium has changed, I still look forward very much to playing everything he sends me. The reason for that is when it comes to power pop that has been influenced by The Beatles (in particular), The Byrds, Big Star etc. then he is amazingly consistent and in Ken he has obviously found a kindred spirit, as this is at least their fourth collaboration together. Jeremy is a master of many styles of music, and until it is on the player one cannot always tell from the artwork or song titles whether it be gospel, prog, power pop, instrumental (either piano or acoustic guitar), yet there is always the knowledge that it will be fun and something to relish. His control of the hook and arrangements is second to none, and Ken’s drumming and bass adds a level of funk to this which is a delight. In the perfect world each of the 12 songs on here would be a hit single, and “The Angels Watch” might even get there in the imperfect world we live in, as the “woo woos” and harmony vocals on this combined with 12-string jangly guitar makes sublime. I have been singing the praises of Jeremy Morris for three decades and I see no reason at all to stop yet. Another goody.