Nick Piunti – “13 In My Head”

It’s probably fair to say that Nick Piunti is a bit of a veteran in the power pop world given he goes way back to 1975. That’s not to say his music is any less relevant today, thankfully the need for hummable melodies and classic pop songs remains. In this great new release he has created an album which has a power pop feel with a modern rock sound. In many ways it follows other great acts from The Replacements through Redd Kross and The Fountains of Wayne, which have created a magic line of modern pop rock.
The album actually opens with the title track and it’s a brilliant opening number which is a great power pop song. It has that feeling of youth and just carefree fun that we all had at the age of 13. “On The Way Out” keeps it going with another really smooth and catchy song with some great Na Na Nas in it! If hearing this song doesn’t make you at least nod your head then you’d better check your pulse.

The sound slows down a bit on “Good Things Going” which is a bit more of a sixties power pop type song. “She’s A Good Time” has a similar feel and with the slightly slower beat giving it a more psychedelic edge like the band Jellyfish. “Farewell, Goodbye” takes this sound even further and could easily have been a track of that band’s classic ‘Bellybutton” album.

We are back to the pop rocking sound with “It All Comes Down” which brings to mind the impression of a later day Cheap Trick song. It has a great pop beat which if it was released by a boy band would be a huge number one hit. Again, “Sleeping On The Pavement” has Cheap Trick written all over it but this time has a more rocking sound and even an off kilter U.S. alternative rock feel. Any great pop rocking album should always have a hint of Elvis Costello about it and that’s certainly true of “Every Light On”. It has a great mix of different paces within the song with some great bridges before the choruses.

The pace slows down again with “Reasons” but Nick still can’t resist building up to a crunchy chorus. “Quicksand” is similar but with a more acoustic feel. It still has a warmth about it rather than just being stripped down. The album ends as it began with “Believe It” which is yet another rocking song with a great melody.
This is just one of those albums you just hear and go wow. There are just so many great pop songs on it which all deserve to be huge. In this world of instant music and shuffle play, you will hear one of the songs come on at random and immediately check your player to see who the hell it is. Anyone who likes great pop rock or power pop tunes should check this album out. It has that great songs in the sunshine feel to it and will definitely leave you in a great mood.