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The year-end summary you’re about to dive into was a collaborative effort involving numerous talented artists and passionate enthusiasts within the vibrant Power Pop community.

Sweet Sweet Music blog rallied everyone to share their top 5 favorite albums, resulting in an overwhelming influx of submissions. From this wealth of contributions, the following list was crafted.

2023 proved to be an exceptional year for Power Pop, witnessing a surge of artists delivering their finest creations in the span of the last 12 months. The sheer diversity of titles mentioned across entries speaks volumes about the genre’s vitality.

Within this overview, you’ll find albums that consistently stood out as favorites among the community.

Thank you to everyone who has submitted their Top 5!

Get ready to immerse yourself once again in the musical tapestry of 2023, exploring the finest offerings curated by the passionate Power Pop community.

01 The Whiffs – Scratch ’n’ Sniff
02 The Lemon Twigs – Everything Harmony
03 Uni Boys – Buy This Now
04 The New Pornographers – Continue as Guest
05 Liquid Mike – S/T
06 The Pretty Flowers – A Company Sleeve
07 Guided by Voices – Welshpool Frillies
08 The Rallies – It Must Be Love
09 Nick Frater – Bivouac
10 Buddie – Agitator
11 Hurry – Don’t Look Back
12 The Midnight Callers – Rattled Humming Heart
13 Chris Church – Radio Transient
14 Rinehearts – Full Bloom
15 Thomas Walsh – The Rest is History
16 Somerdale – Let’s Get Started
17 The Ronson Hangup – Centaurus
18 Ryan Allen – The Last Rock Band
19 Tamar Berk – Tiny Injuries
20 Kurt Baker – Rock and Roll Club
21 Mike Viola – Paul McCarthy
22 Marvelous 3 – IV
23 The Foreign Films – Magic Shadows
24 Scott Gagner – Reverse
25 The Pozers – Something Pop
26 Cut Worms – s/t
27 KC Bowman – Crushes of Context
28 Eyelids – A Colossal Waste of Light
29 Diners – Domino
30 The Summertimes – s/t
31 Star Collector – Attack, Sustain, Decay…Repeat
32 The Lunar Laugh – In The Black
33 Local Drags – Mess of Everything
34 CMON CMON – The Crack and the Light
35 Half Catholic – Art In Heaven
36 Dolph Chaney – Mug
37 Geoff Palmer – An Otherwise Negative Situation
38 Marc Jonson & Ramírez Exposure – Turning On The Century Vol.2
39 Odds – Crash The Time Machine
40 Freezing Hands – Empty The Tank
41 Novelty Island – Wallsend Weekend Television
42 P. Hux – As Good As Advertised
43 The James Clark Institute – Under The Lampshade
44 Richard Turgeon – Life of the Party
45 Reno Bo – Never Night Time On The Sun
46 Ed Ryan – A Big Life
47 Arthur Alexander – …Steppin’ Out
48 Meyerman – Happy To See You
49 Vanity Mirror – Puff
50 Sand Brothers – Too Much Sky
50 Ian M. Bailey – We Live In Strange Times
50 The Evening Sons – Tracks
50 Tom Curless & the 46% – Speaking in Code
50 The Make Three – You, Me & The Make Three
50 Paul McCann – Alter Ego
50 The Anderson Council – The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon
50 Semisonic – Little Bit of Sun
50 Steve Marino – Too Late to Start Again

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Be sure to catch all your favorite songs on the ‘The Best Power Pop of 2023‘ Spotify playlist.

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Last year, I shared all the individual lists. This year, I asked if everyone preferred to vote anonymously, and many chose this option. Therefore, I’ve decided not to include individual entries this year.

However, I’m happy to disclose my personal Top 5. The albums that received the most airplay at Sweet Sweet Music blog HQ over the past year include Gaz Coombes – ‘Turn The Car Around,’ Superchunk – ‘Singles, B-sides & Strays 2007–2023’, Buddie – ‘Agitator,’ The New Pornographers – ‘Continue as Guest,’ and The Pretty Flowers – ‘A Company Sleeve.’

Keep yourself safe, stay in good health, spread kindness, and I’ll catch you next year!

John Dunbar’s creative prowess soars when he sets boundaries. His album ‘What A Difference Indifference Makes‘ was initially planned as a collection of ‘piano songs,’ and it stays true to that vision. However, Dunbar is quick to point out that it won’t offer a reimagined take on well-known piano songs like ‘I’m Still Standing,’ ‘Piano Man,’ or ‘The Way It Is.’ Instead, as Dunbar elaborates in an interview with Sweet Sweet Music Blog, listeners can anticipate something entirely different.

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Be sure to catch ‘I Wonder If She Colors Her Hair Now’ featured on the ‘The Best Power Pop of 2023‘ Spotify playlist.

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John, the lyrics for the opening track ‘I Wonder If She Colors Her Hair Now’ are just captivating.

“Track her down? No, I wouldn’t dare now
To the past I shouldn’t compare now
Who’s marching to the beat of her snare now
I wonder if she colors her hair now”

That ‘compare’ and ‘snare’ rhyme must have felt like a win besides the title, right?

Most of the time, with me, it all starts with a song title. Once you have a beguiling song title, the song almost writes itself. It can inform the feel of the song, set up the storyline, and finding the catchiest melody to sing that phrase can get the ball rolling.

“I Wonder If She Colors Her Hair Now” lent itself to some fun and meaningful rhyme schemes. I’ve been accused of having too much faith in song titles. When I look at the tracklist of an album and see banal song titles, I think the songs will be even more banal. So, I always try my best to do the opposite. Someone told me that this song was a fresh approach to the one-who-got-away song genre. I’ll take that.

The title hints at how long she’s been gone. I hope it comes across that the character in the song isn’t judging her if she does color her hair. In the bridge, you get the idea that he hopes she doesn’t, since he’s certain she’d be as beautiful as Emmylou Harris if she went totally grey.

The vibe of ‘What A Difference Indifference Makes’ feels so airy, making the songs incredibly approachable. Was that the aim when you began writing?

When I gave myself the challenge of making a piano/keyboard album, I feared it might come across as redundant, boring. I hope it doesn’t. Airy and approachable sounds like a nice description to me. I think what kept it from being repetitive was that they were not all written on piano. “You Really Got Meh” started as a strummy, acoustic guitar song that I wasn’t sure would become a John Sally Ride song or end up on some other project. When I tried it out on piano, it really opened up the song and gave it a completely different feel from the way it was originally written. That seemed to create the method for the rest of the album.

When I heard this was your piano-centric album, I expected hints of Billy Joel, Elton John, Ben Folds, or Bruce Hornsby, but it’s pleasantly different. Can you elaborate on what crafting a ‘piano album’ means to you and who inspired you?

I am thrilled that you said that. I did fear people would think I was pulling an Elton/Ben Folds thing. I think what saved me from not sounding that way was not being a very good piano player. I’m semi-adequate. That kept things simple and direct. I play piano like a guitar player. I voice chords without using my thumbs. We’ve been working on a new John Sally Ride album this year. When Joe Pampel adds his guitar and sends them to me, it’s like Christmas morning. What he adds in riffs, solos, chording never fails to blow me away. He changes songs into something I didn’t expect. When I started working on “What A Difference Indifference Makes,” I felt so inferior as a guitar player compared to what I was hearing on those future John Sally Ride tracks, I thought to myself, maybe I’ll just do the album without guitar. So that became the challenge and theme. It was fun to come up with melodic runs, fills, and riffs on keyboards. I would not have come up with them had I been using a guitar in those sections.

What led you to handle everything independently this time around?

I have way too many ideas and plans for my own good, never mind anyone else’s. I can’t expect everyone to come along with me for every ride. When I come up with these album plans with certain themes, concepts, restrictions, I keep them to myself. Just a slight look from someone that I can interpret as “Are you sure about that?” could be enough for me to abandon the ship. I am easily discouraged, so I don’t say anything until the project is finished. This way, no matter how bad a reaction I get, it’s already done.

There’s an abundance of beautiful songs on the album. Do you sense this is a peak of your creativity?

That is very kind of you to say. Most artists think their newest project or what they’re currently working on is the best thing they’ve ever done. Time usually tells you how wrong you are. I was working on two other projects before finishing up “What A Difference Indifference Makes.” A new John Sally Ride album, that I mentioned earlier, and some truly ridiculous thing that falls under my keep-it-to-myself theory. I was close to finishing that, then I thought it might be just too much. So I decided to focus on this album instead.

It’s funny, the other day I was listening to an old iPod on shuffle. I highly recommend that to everyone. It always surprises; songs you forgot you loved, songs you never knew you put in there, songs you never heard before. A song came on that sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. I was digging it. At about the one-minute point, I realized it was ME!!! Then I instantly disliked it and fast-forwarded to the next song.

With your kind response to the album, you are making me believe I made the correct decision by putting this one out first. Thank you for that.

Hello!

Last year, I compiled a Best of 2022 list by gathering insights from friends in the Power Pop community to highlight their favorite albums. Sloan’s ‘Steady’ claimed the number one spot. The overwhelmingly positive response has motivated me to do it again this year.

If you’d like to take part, please share your top five favorite Power Pop albums of 2023 with me before December 15.

You can send your Top 5 to patrick.donders@protonmail.com

Don’t hesitate to include your own album in your list if you’ve released one :).

Additionally, last year, I included individual entries; if you prefer to ‘vote’ anonymously, please let me know.

Your participation will immensely enrich the overview! Thank you in advance for joining in, and let’s have a blast revisiting the musical journey of 2023.

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Make sure you don’t miss out on all the great tracks highlighted in the ‘The Best Power Pop of 2023‘ Spotify playlist.

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Power Pop Punk enthusiasts have been treated to fantastic releases this year from, among others, Geoff Palmer, Lone Wolf, Local Drags, and Jagger Holly. To ‘complete’ this lineup, DEATHMATES by ODD ROBOT deserves a spot, as songwriter Andrew Burris and his band have crafted a collection of not just a few but 17 (yes, 17!) irresistibly catchy bangers. Dive into Burris’s story below.

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Be sure to catch ‘Lost Inside Yr Ocean’ featured on the ‘The Best Power Pop of 2023‘ Spotify playlist.

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Your decision to gather opinions on your new songs is intriguing. When did you realize that external perspectives could contribute significantly to your creative process?

Initially, for our first two records, I predominantly provided the band with demos that were nearly 99% complete. However, this time, I introduced demos at varying stages of completion. Collaborating with the band in our rehearsal space significantly helped in fleshing out the ideas, especially for the tracks where I hit creative roadblocks — like a few songs lacking a chorus or having a great melody but no lyrical direction. With our band evolving from a power trio to a 5-piece over the years, I’ve never lacked input when encountering obstacles!

If you could collaborate with three co-writers for new songs, whom would you choose, and what qualities draw you to them?

My dream songwriting trio would comprise Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, and Dave Grohl. McCartney’s unmatched sense of melody and incredible bass lines, Swift’s impeccable pop sensibilities, and Grohl’s punk influence that adds an edge to conventional pop music are qualities that I find truly inspiring.

Determining a song’s completion can be elusive. How do you decide when a composition has reached its final, ready-to-record form?

The initial draw for me is an opening lyric and melody that seamlessly fit together and captivate. If a solid verse and chorus emerge, the song progresses. Sometimes, crafting an instrumental hook or intro aids in this process, and my guitarist and keyboardist excel at this. Personally, the toughest part is often penning the lyrics for the second verse; condensing thoughts without redundancy can be a challenge. Given the current trend of shorter attention spans among audiences, I favor succinct songs. Once I’ve formulated a couple of verses and a robust chorus, I structure the song as AB/AB, occasionally adding a bridge or repeat chorus. That’s when I consider it done!

Among the compliments you’ve received, is there one that remains etched in your memory? If so, what made it particularly unforgettable?

Recently, a fan labeled us as “the best powerpop band in the world” in a social media post. The exhilaration I felt upon reading that was indescribable. Despite not extensively touring and having a modest fanbase, knowing that people worldwide connect with our music and consider us among their favorites is beyond words.

Looking forward to the next couple of months, what exciting plans or projects are on the horizon for you?

Following our latest release, we have upcoming local record release shows on Dec 9th in Long Beach and Dec 16th in LA. Additionally, we’re gearing up to introduce new merchandise to support the new record and are initiating plans for shows in 2024, eyeing a potential West Coast tour in the spring or summer!

Poppy Robbie crafts lyrically rich Power Pop reminiscent of the likes of Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson, continuing a tradition they established. Within the album ‘Neighborhood Beautification Commission,’ a track named ‘Robert Pollard Trading Card Collection’ explicitly nods to the influence of Guided by Voices in shaping this collection of twelve superb songs. These tracks are irresistibly catchy, inviting repeated listens as they weave stories that compel me to sing along with their infectious choruses.

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Be sure to catch ‘Homesteader’ featured on the ‘The Best Power Pop of 2023‘ Spotify playlist.

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Could you share the journey of bringing this record to life? How did all the pieces come together to create the final product?

Initially, this project began as an idea for a short EP containing about 5 or 6 songs I’d been holding onto for some time. Some of these tracks even date back to the mid-2000s. Over the years, while working on various things, I sensed a common narrative thread among some songs. I aimed to eventually release them as a cohesive group.

Later in the year, circumstances started aligning, allowing me to dive into the envisioned project. As I began recording, I decided to expand it into a full-length album. A few additional songs seemed to fit the narrative, and a couple of new ones even emerged.

Defining a song’s completion can be elusive. How do you determine when a composition has reached its final, ready-to-record form?

For me, it boils down to whether I’ve conveyed everything I intended. Does the message come across by the song’s end? As someone who focuses heavily on lyrics, I prioritize connecting with the words. During recording, I discovered that some songs, which I thought were finalized, shifted notably. It was a surprising experience to let go of preconceived notions, ultimately leading to a better outcome. If something doesn’t work during recording, it might be worth trying a different approach.

How would you describe the evolution of your sound in this new album compared to your previous works? Were there intentional shifts in style or themes?

In 2019, I self-released an EP called ‘The Troubled Times of Samuel Heck,’ a raw, lo-fi collection somewhat akin to what I initially envisioned for this project. However, for this album, I sought more freedom to explore diverse sounds without being confined to a specific label or style. These songs have resided within me for quite a while, making this material particularly resonant for me. The album comprises songs from different phases of my life, offering varied perspectives within the same headspace, akin to a neighborhood. It reflects the contradictions and growth we experience in life, a narrative I found intriguing to explore.

As an artist, the act of baring your emotions to the world is profound. Does this vulnerability come naturally to you, or is it a constant journey of finding comfort?

It’s a bit of both. Expressing oneself is a form of free therapy. I strive for direct and honest writing, regardless of the subject’s significance. Balancing being true to oneself while keeping the content engaging for others is the challenge. Listeners these days can easily skip tracks, so the music must captivate.

In the digital age, visual elements are intertwined with music. How did you approach the album’s visual aesthetics, such as album art and accompanying visuals? How do they complement the sonic experience you’ve crafted?

Early on, I had a clear vision for the album cover, incorporating scattered green Monopoly houses. I expanded this aesthetic to the album’s inside art, evoking an American suburban theme – plastic daisies, pink flamingos, and synthetic grass doormats. They reflect an almost-real, manufactured suburban bliss.

Looking ahead to the next couple of months, what exciting plans or projects are on the horizon for you?

I’m hoping for a label to press this album on vinyl! For now, after its recent release, I’m enjoying the responses and feedback. These songs have lingered in my mind for too long; it’s time they found a place outside my head.

Presenting ‘Coming to Terms With the Terminal Buildings: Best Ones 2021-2023,’ a new ‘best of’ compilation capturing the favorite tracks from the past couple of years. Crafted in a Glasgow flat, these songs draw inspiration from the likes of Mo Troper, Tony Molina, Big Star, Teenage Fanclub, Guided by Voices, and Martin Newell.

Finlay explains to Sweet Sweet Music blog what this compilation is about.

Could you share the journey of bringing this record to life? How did all the pieces come together to create the final product?

Some of these songs were originally written 2 years ago, and some as recently as July, so in that sense, it took a long time to come together, but it wasn’t planned like that. The last time I put a compilation out it covered the period 2018-2020 and felt like it wrapped up the first chapter of the Terminal Buildings. This year, I again came to a point where I’d stopped writing songs for a while, so I thought it would be nice to take a retrospective look at the music I’d made from 2021 until now. Once I’d decided to do it, choosing the songs was quite easy, and it came together quickly. As a kid, I had a lot of ‘greatest hits’ collections on CD, and I still have a soft spot for the compilation format, so it was fun to revisit that.

The decision to seek opinions on your new songs is intriguing. When did you realize that external perspectives could contribute to your creative process?

It’s kind of a cliché at this point, but for the last 5 years or so, I’ve been writing and recording as the Terminal Buildings just for me, and I’ve pretty much kept it to myself. I hit a big birthday recently and thought, why not put some songs out there a bit more? This is what I’ve spent a lot of my free time working on, so it seems weird not to share it.

Success can take on different meanings as time goes on. When envisioning success for this new record, what does that picture look like now?

I just think it is nice for someone to listen and ‘get it’, like “I can tell what you’re trying to do here”. Even if they don’t like it! It’s good to take part and try your best and for other people to recognize that.

Within this collection, do you feel that the best song you’ve ever written finds its home? If not, what distinguishes this record’s essence from your prior work?

There have been a few times when I’ve written something and thought, “This is easily the best thing I’ve ever done”, but I usually change my mind when the next one comes along. I have tried to be quite brutal with the tracklist – normally, I have a pretty lax quality filter because I find it hard to discard a song if I’ve spent any time on it, and I feel like I never know how it’s going to turn out until it’s finished. With a ‘best of’, I have forced myself to be picky!

Defining a song’s completion can be elusive. How do you determine when a composition has reached its final, ready-to-record form?

That’s still a mystery to me, but I like to write short songs, so they tend to reach a natural stopping point quite quickly. I haven’t played any of these live to an audience, but in other bands, I’ve felt parts evolve the more they’re performed and the recording being a snapshot of that, so with the Terminal Buildings, they are often recorded in a relatively juvenile state. Sometimes, it’s a challenge to know when to stop tinkering with a song – although eventually, I’ll start to get bored, and then I just have to make peace with it and let it go.

In putting this collection together, I’ve found my favorites are often the ones that were quickest to write, which is kind of annoying when you’ve sunk more time into a tune, and it doesn’t turn out that good.

Striking a balance between experimental artistry and commercial appeal is a challenge. How do you navigate this dynamic within your music?

I’m usually trying to write very poppy songs, and I don’t think there’s much about them that is particularly original, so anything that sounds experimental is probably a side effect of my recording methods. It’s music that aspires to fit a certain model for a “hit” but has absolutely no commercial appeal whatsoever – this reminds me of Michael Chabon’s “Tragic Magic” article on power pop, which I think suggests that commercial failure is one of the key features of the genre. This is also touched upon in Mo Troper’s article “Power Pop Is Camp“.

Lyrics often carry profound meaning. Are there particular lines you hope listeners will always remember from your songs? If so, what’s the significance?

This is a bit of a cop-out, but no! I’m a big fan of lyrics that are simplistic and silly or that are so earnest as to be a bit corny. A lot of the songs do have personal meaning or genuine sentiment behind them, but most start with a line that I just think is funny or catchy. I’m mostly interested in the lyrics flowing or sounding good, so they don’t always stand up to close interrogation. ‘Struck Me Down’, in particular, has some pretty dodgy grammar.

Studio moments often hold a touch of magic. Could you recount an instance that stands out as the most enchanting during your creative process?

I record almost everything in my flat, so in terms of “studio magic,” it’s slim pickings. Some of my favorite creative decisions have been borne out of laziness. To take ‘Cruel World’ as an example, I recorded two versions of the guitar solo, intending to choose the better one, but in the end, I just left them both in to fight over the top of each other. And now I think that’s an important aspect of the song because it makes up for other songs that don’t even have any guitar solos.

How would you describe the evolution of your sound in this new album compared to your previous works? Were there intentional shifts in style or themes?

Something I like about this collection is that there is a big disparity in fidelity between the songs. You have some of the cleanest recordings that I spent a lot of time on in 2021, recorded with a full drumkit and loads of takes, and then there are some I recorded on my phone or on my old cassette recorder. So it roughly charts when I’ve had more and less time to spend on production, and I guess you can track that through the lyrical themes too. I hope that it gives the whole thing kind of a collage feel.

In the digital age, visual elements are intertwined with music. How did you approach the album’s visual aesthetics, such as album art and accompanying visuals? How do they complement the sonic experience you’ve crafted?

In the last year, for reasons of efficiency and pragmatism, I have cut down my whole music-making process to the point where I’ve recorded songs entirely on my phone, and I’ve been doing the same with the artwork. As with the music, I do all the cover art myself, and I like combining hand-drawn elements with digital collages. That approach has stayed fairly consistent, but for this one, I spent a lot more time on it, and I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out. I took specific inspiration from other album covers (especially ‘Now’ by Kim Jung Mi and the Cribs’ debut album), and I even hand-drew my own fonts, which I really enjoyed doing. I might quit music and just do fonts from now on.

SHPLANG is back with an incredibly catchy new single called ‘Understood,’ heralding the arrival of their upcoming album, “Thank You, Valued Customer,” slated for release on 12/1 via Big Stir Records. SweetSweetMusicblog recently explored the making of this album with Peter Marston.

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Be sure to catch ‘Understood’ featured on the ‘The Best Power Pop of 2023‘ Spotify playlist.

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Could you share the journey of bringing this record to life? How did all the pieces come together to create the final product?

None of the songs on the album had ever been played live by the band, so arrangements were done one instrument at a time. Start with programmed drums, then the main rhythm guitar, then bass, then second and/or third guitar parts, then keyboards, then vocals, then hand percussion (of which there is quite a bit). Live drums are done last. Then mixing, which with the sort of psych-pop we do, is every bit as much a creative enterprise and takes nearly as long!

The decision to seek opinions on your new songs is intriguing. When did you realize that external perspectives could contribute to your creative process?

No one outside of the band hears anything until the record is released. Perhaps we feel we are too easily influenced, or perhaps we have control issues. Either way, it works for us. Songs that are in the middle of our recording process often sound quite inaccessible, and though we know we can get through the thicket, I think outsiders would be quite confused and give us less than useful advice. One of the objectives of Shplang in our creative process is to paint ourselves into a corner—and often the most interesting thing about our records is how we get out!

Success can take on different meanings as time goes on. When envisioning success for this new record, what does that picture look like now?

Success for us at this point (after more than 25 years) is just having new listeners discover us and enjoy what we are doing. We like to confound people’s expectations about pop music (most broadly conceived) and bring a smile to people with our strangeness and humor. There are few things more satisfying than when someone expresses excitement about finding you amid the thousands of new music projects released on the various streaming services monthly. Big thanks to Big Stir Records for helping us find those folks.

Within this collection, do you feel that the best song you’ve ever written finds its home? If not, what distinguishes this record’s essence from your prior work?

Not sure we believe in “best” songs. Everything we do is available for anyone to enjoy. This new album is not so much something new as an integration. Our first album, “Journey to the Center of Mirth,” was extremely experimental and psychedelic. Over the next three albums, we were, I suppose, courting commercial success and lost some of the more “out there” moments. So, on this album, we are trying to be more experimental while maintaining clear pop accessibility. Thankfully, we think we’ve done that.

As an artist, the act of baring your emotions to the world is profound. Does this vulnerability come naturally to you, or is it a constant journey of finding comfort?

Our songs may bare emotions, but they aren’t necessarily ours. We write more from the perspective of imaginary characters than from our own experiences. Only “Everyone Can Change” on the new album could remotely be considered a confessional song.

Defining a song’s completion can be elusive. How do you determine when a composition has reached its final, ready-to-record form?

This is an interesting dilemma. We usually don’t consider a recording completed until we have added two or three parts that don’t work (of course, then deleting them). At that point, we know what we have is, as Goldilocks said, “just right.”

Striking a balance between experimental artistry and commercial appeal is a challenge. How do you navigate this dynamic within your music?

Do we? Hmm.

Among the compliments you’ve received, is there one that remains etched in your memory? If so, what made it particularly unforgettable?

Our favorite compliment is when people tell us our music is fun. It’s also the most common compliment we receive, which is very nice.

With the record completed and the music released, do you believe the pinnacle of enjoyment has been reached, or is this just the beginning of an exciting phase?

Already on to the next project. The enjoyment for us is in the challenge of doing something new. Someone once asked me if I ever listen to my own music. My answer was “never sober,” so that tells you something.

In the digital age, visual elements are intertwined with music. How did you approach the album’s visual aesthetics, such as album art and accompanying visuals? How do they complement the sonic experience you’ve crafted?

Bass player John Krause is a visual artist best known for his work as a designer on The Simpsons for over 25 years. He does all our artwork, and it’s great to have a professional in that role. For this album, he came up with something appropriately thematic, a sort of pastiche of supermarket marketing. Big thumbs up. Thanks, John!