Its comforting to know that bands like Portland’s Throwback Suburbia “get it.” This third album builds on the band’s consistent sound and musical development. The opener “Give and Take” is an emotional hook-filled gem with a thrilling bridge and jangle filled rhythm. The signature sneering vocals of Jimi Evans and mastery of composition come forward on “Setting Sun.” On “Here Again” the band notes “history’s overrated” through its slow building power ballad.

No filler to be found as each track makes a strong melodic statement. On “Sinking Feeling” the gruff riffs recall Butch Walker and the 50′s styled piano ballad “Side Effects” provide a much needed break from the relentless guitar bounce. The slower groove of “Best Intentions” is another gem that offers some nice slide guitar with Evans best vocal performance. Even the last track “Neither Here Nor There” steps up with some nice group harmonies. It also pushes this album into my top ten for 2012; listen for yourself and see if you don’t agree.

Absolute Powerpop

I often take an expansive view of "power pop" in the choice of releases reviewed on here, but you don't have to stretch the definition of "power pop" very far to include Portland's Throwback Suburbia. These guys have the quintessential power pop sound: crunchy guitars, sweet melodies, hooks galore and songs about girls. Their third full-length builds on the strengths of their previous releases and finds them on top of their game. "Give and Take" fits the template described above with "bah-bah" vocals in the bridge and nice use of piano to back the usual power trio, "Setting Sun" follows the bouncy staccato beat template that goes back to The Beatles' "Getting Better" to fine effect, and "It's You" has a breezy-enough melody that would have found massive radio airplay if the calendar found us wearing bell bottoms and complaining about Richard Nixon. And if smoking weren't considered passe, we'd all be holding up our lighters during the classic power ballad "Here Again". So yes, the "throwback" in their name fits to a T, and we wouldn't have it any other way, would we?

Under The Tangerine Tree

"Power pop? We have always considered ourselves a rock band, but we must admit that over the years we realized that a devoted base of power pop fans gave us great support." Thus spoke Throwback Suburbia, without a doubt one of the most exciting bands coming from the Pacific coast in recent years. Active since 2006 and already fathers of an EP (Four Play, 2007) and a  debut album (self-titled, 2009), the five-piece Portland band returns to the stage with a shattering record titled “Shot Glass Souvenir,” which is not likely to go unnoticed.

If Jimi Evans, Mike Collins and company do not care about being labeled a musical genre, the reason lies in the extreme confidence in their own abilities. The well from which to draw this inordinate talent is endless, and the boys only have to worry about composing, which they seem able to do pretty well. “Shot Glass Souvenir” is made of eleven songs and if the zealous producers of MTV had a any conscious at all, they would make put a couple of excerpts from this album in constant rotation. Just take a listen to ‘Give and Take,’ which opens the curtain and unleashes a technical knockout punch to the unsuspecting listener. Ladies and gentlemen, we are presented with perfection of the concept of pop music: arrangements overflowing and voices - especially the resounding Evans - managed with an acrobatic balancing act well above the lines.

Throwback Suburbia is reminiscent of a Brit-pop band grappling with a monographic course of Scandinavian power pop who for some following this blog will know what I'm talking about. All others are asked to go listen to ‘It's You’ and ‘Sinking Feeling,’ songs that echo that of Suede Supernaturals and are disguised with a guitar sound blatantly reminiscent of the Merrymakers and in the manner of Dorian Gray. ‘Caroline’ is the "rocker" of the disc and makes a perfect counterpoint to ‘Best Of Intentions,’ the best ballad here that immediately follows. What's more, the standard is even higher on ‘Get Her Off My Mind’ and ‘Down To Love.’ During the first, I seem to see it, Jason Falkner seems to spearhead Crowded House and the second, in my opinion, is the best song on the disc, with its readily accessible, devastating melody helping to define the trappings of power pop in the new millennium.

“Shot Glass Souvenir” is an album that, if the world revolved in the right direction, would be mainstream. A notice to all: Throwback Suburbia will slam in your face without hesitation their being unabashedly pop; there is no trick and there is no deceit. Who necessarily need to be sick to hear music, please turn your eyes away. All others need to turn on the radio, because who knows; sooner or later someone will notice that you can make millions with bands like this.

Music Street Journal

Throwback a shot and enjoy the Suburbia sounds of one of, if not the northwest's finest power pop band’s latest offering. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Throwback Suburbia has been around for some time now, making records and selling out shows in the immediate area and beyond. Their new CD is a well crafted piece of self produced work. It’s an album of classic retro and cutting edge modern music. Since they installed a fifth member on keyboards the songs have gained another dimension to round off their glossy but straight forward sound, and it's come full circle. Not enough can be said about the quality of musicianship they display. There’s a chemistry that works and that's often the make or break factor for a band. This is one group that understands everything about recording first class songs. There is good stuff throughout that continues to grow with each listen, but is also instantly recognizable for its sheer quality and goes from there. I'm convinced Throwback Suburbia can do no wrong.

Track by Track Review

Give and Take - Instant quality is what you hear when this infectious little riff pops in, and the vocal melody is just as strong. Even though everything on here is of this standard, this is a perfect way to start it all off. The sing-along factor is written all over this fabulous tune.

Setting Sun - Speaking of sing-along factor, it gets even better on this track, which is a contender for the best on offer here. One just has to hear it to fully appreciate what I mean, but if any chorus should remain on repeat, it can be found here. This is excellent!

It's You - This CD contains a lot of similar songs but that is a good thing. This is just another great song to add to them all. The vibe is so strong at this point, that there is no turning back as these songs are just hard to not like. The falsetto comes on strong on this one too, accompanied by some snappy guitar fills that go along with those vocal parts.

Here Again - The tempo drops a notch here on this beautiful ballad, yet it's up there with the best of these tunes. The lyrics are what really drive this one from start to finish. This gives the listener a chance to relax and absorb what's going on musically. This is great stuff!

Sinking Feeling - What a fine little gem this is, one of the more Beatles-like tunes, as there are several. Of course, that means the Beatles are an influence on this group, but not that the song could be mistaken for the Fab Four. This is a different time and place.

Side Effects - This also has a real Portland vibe to it, as well as a familiarity I can't quite nail, but there is little need for that, as it just grows on its own and I easily forget that much about it. The title is mentioned here, so it's a significant track within the set that way. It's a fine ballad with both modern and retro factors to keep it balanced perfectly, with an over all classic doo-wop feel.

Caroline - This is one of the harder hitting moments of the disc, with drummer Mike Collins providing a powerhouse performance, lots of cowbell and all. I can't think of one song titled “Caroline” that I don't like, as I add this to a list of several. I love the background vocals here too, as spot on as anywhere else on the disc. Still, they are especially good here. When they come back for the final build up and then drive it all home, the level of songwriting just can’t be denied.

Best of Intentions - This is a slower groove, another essential ballad that finds the vocals stretching out a bit, going naturally into territory not found elsewhere here. For some reason it's one of the better vocal performances, and this features a killer guitar solo. It has to be one of my hot picks for those reasons. Your mileage certainly might vary, but I love this at least as much as anything on offer here.

Get Her off My Mind - This has an almost funky vibe, but still contains all the same stuff to be found on every track here. It's just a little more experimental, with a kind of choppy arrangement.

Neither Here Nor There - Lately I've noticed a good thing concerning final tracks on albums, as they seem to be paid more attention to in the department of momentum. Some of the time the last track usually appeals the least, but some have been stepping it up and this is a good example. This belongs anywhere on the disc, and goes to show how difficult it might be to arrange tracks, or perhaps how easy on the other hand.

KOUG Radio

I met Jimi Evans, lead vocalist of Throwback Suburbia, about 10 years ago.  He was fronting The Red Sector, a Portland area quartet whose sound was something approximating a futuristic, synth-infused alternative rock.  What caught my attention at the time, aside from the black vinyl pants and eye makeup, was how the band’s tunes were simultaneously edgy and remarkably catchy.  Much of the credit for this deft combination is probably attributable to the slick production and infectious riffs courtesy of guitarist Kevin Hahn.  And yet, what sets The Red Sector apart from the hundreds of local bands I’ve seen over the years is undoubtedly the uniqueness of Evans’ voice.  It has that all-too-rare commodity in rock and roll:  a distinctiveness that leaves a lasting impression.  The fact that he’s an incredibly nice, down to earth guy doesn’t hurt his cause either.

This album is full of pop gems.  Another of my favorite tracks, “Sinking Feeling”, stands out with its loose, open feel.  As the track kicks off with some brilliantly simple quarter notes on what sounds like an over-compressed bass, one hears drummer Mike Collins, whose flawless, tasteful performances are a highlight of the record, really open the tune up.  Evans’ vocals soar through the second chorus, and then, with a clever twist, the band spins us around again, trailing off into a bridge reminiscent of “The Police”.

It’s probably evident by now that I’m impressed with this album.  The only weaknesses I hear are really side effects of strengths.  When you’ve got 5 talented musicians all contributing and collaborating, which seems to be the case with Throwback Suburbia, sometimes it’s difficult to know when to let off the gas pedal.  With that said, there is some occasional overplaying, resulting in a sonically crowded field at times, and a bit more high-pitched organ than I’m keen to indulge over 40 minutes.   Luckily, the band seems to have an awareness of this.  “Side Effects”, a surprisingly stark, piano driven, 50s-style ballad makes for a beautifully effortless sounding tune near the record’s end.   What one also hears in this song is some experimentation with lo-fi sensibilities, which this reviewer hopes the band will continue to explore across future endeavors.

Pop Geek Heaven

Throwback’s last album was in my Top Ten for ’09 and they are likely to repeat that with this outstanding collection of hooky three-chord power pop. With four contributing songwriters they never lack for material and the songs are often inspired. “Give and Take” recalls the Raspberries in excitement and hooks. Jimi Evan’s possesses a caramel lozenge voice, smooth and buttery. “Setting Sun” starts off like Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy,” with chords worthy of Crowded House and a musical quote from “When I’m Sixty-Four.” “It’s You” is a pulsing power ballad. “Down to Love” is classic rave-up with pizzicato synth strings and a dancing piano contrapuntal to the guitars.

“Side Effects” with its soulful keyboards and stacked harmonies sounds like something from Dion and the Belmonts. The record ends with the chiming, charming, churning Byrdsian clang of “Neither Here Nor There.”

Evans has a vocal doppleganger in the Wellington’s Zac Anthony. The Wellingtons are the Southern Hemisphere balance to Throwback, and can be found on the exact opposite side of the Earth as Throwback at any time.

Four and a half stars.

PopBang Radio

Portland's Throwback Suburbia continues to release one solid LP after another, and "Shot Glass Souvenir" is arguably their best yet.  Super hook filled songs, masterfully produced, abundant harmonies,  this is one of those rare albums that is solid from start to finish.

This band simply gets it, throwing in just the right chord at the right time, never overdoing it, just having fun playing power pop that is both retro and current at the same time.

I can't recommend "Shot Glass Souvenir" enough... fans of Jellyfish, Cheap Trick, Redd Kross and Ben Folds certainly should pay close attention to Throwback Suburbia. This is premium stuff!

Rateyourmusic.com

Great band, superb record, which starts off with a glorious power pop song called “Give and Take,” followed by what sounds like a series of melodic pop feats, the best examples of which being the three songs respectively entitled “Sinking Feeling,” “Side Effects” and “Caroline,” each of them offering a radically different take on power pop music.  Throwback Suburbia might well be the proudest and most intrinsically honest guitar pop band around in 2012.

California Diner/Recharged Radio

The California Diner, and Recharged Radio in general, are all about the newest independent music. So how new is “new enough” for you? I’ll give you a few examples, and you tell me.

Even newer than that would be the new album by Portland, Oregon band Throwback Suburbia. Shot Glass Souvenir came out this month, January 14th, and it is a power pop masterpiece. Hooks aplenty adorn this album. Every song sparkles, and the whole album makes you feel better about the state of rock and roll. Each song presents a new sonic possibility. You absolutely have to hear this music--it’s one of my favorite albums to hit my inbox in a long time.