New Old Fashioned Pop

According to his myspace, Lawrence Arabia (aka James Milne) is inspired by all of the following:

-T-Rex
-Tall Dwarfs
-stomping bands in 2/4 time
-Beatles
- friendly cats that approach [him] in the street
-Beach Boys
- Dolly Parton
-Olivia Tremor Control
-Lil' Chief Records
-Neil Young
-Bonzo Dog Band
-Brango the Synthesist
-honey bees
-David Kilgour
-all the solo projects of members of The Phoenix Foundation
-fashionable krautrock-type things
-Os Mutantes
-Johnny Cash
-glow worms
-the Pink and White Terraces currently buried under metres of volcanic debris and located 30m beneath the surface of Lake Rotomahana

What does this sound like? Well, the Christchurch, New Zealand popsmith's LP, Chant Darling sounds like old-school pop. Not modern pop, but the pop you would have heard on AM radio in a timewrap. It's got 60's sunny harmonies that provoke sing-alongs in station wagons and dry, witty lyrics. An antidote to modern day cynicism.

Lawrence Arabia - Apple Pie Bed (mp3) (buy)

Lawrence Arabia - the Beautiful Young Crew (mp3) (buy)