Elsewhere, with its manic beat and sweet harmonies, “Say When” could be mistaken for solo Jason Falkner; “Perfectly Okay” adds sitars and synths to the mix a la Fountains of Wayne and “You’ll Never Know” is a power ballad that pulls out all the stops (solo piano, strings, plaintive slide guitar solos) and builds to a satisfying crescendo that would make Rick Neilsen proud. The bottom line is that this disc features one killer track after another and deserves to be right up there with other classics of the genre.

Powerpopaholic

"If you should find yourself having trouble locating a pulse in today’s music, Throwback Suburbia is the proof of life in power pop." These words are posted on the Throwback Suburbia website.

Here is an awesome band that wraps itself up in the spirit of the genre. It opens with the pop explosion that is "Private Oasis" - full of ringing guitars and strong melody reminiscent of The Rubinoos. The follow up "Asking Why" is a Velvet Crush/Raspberries-like tune full of great chords and impeccable harmonies. The band hits for the fences here and succeeds with the ELO-styled opening piano chords on "Head Over Heels" and it's one of the albums many standouts. Fans of Jellyfish will appreciate this as well as the "The Same Mistake" which has such a clean pop sound, and smart songwriting that it really deserves to be a radio friendly hit. The first half of the album hits the sweet spot for sure, then it goes for a harder sound on "Say When" for the Tom Petty fans here. But really, there is not a single note of filler here, and plenty of pop gems to soothe hungry ears. "Perfectly Okay" goes all Fountains of Wayne with us and "Halfway To The Stars" is a cool Jellyfish mid-tempo that sounds as good as anything Roger Manning has written, and it's my favorite song on the album.

They've already blown the doors off of International Pop Overthrow in Los Angeles this year and I hope to hear more of them in the years to come. This band deserves much accolades for this full length debut - easily one of the best of the year. It's another "must-get-it-now" slice of music heaven.

Hard Rock Haven

Calling all power pop addicts: Throwback Suburbia is here! With a mix of The Tories, ELO, Butch Walker and some ‘70s pop a la Shawn and David Cassidy, Throwback Suburbia brings the power back to pop music.

From start to finish, the self-titled album is full of catchy songs. Using sugar coated harmonies, throwback guitar tones (full pun intended) and well placed piano and keyboard tracks, the band manages to put together a heavyweight pop album.

“Asking Why” is reminiscent of a Marvelous 3 song that might have been released on “Math and Other Problems.” The chord structure is a little more complex than the typical 1-4-5 arrangement, which is not only unusual in this genre, but typically makes it difficult to absorb quickly. However, in the case of many of the band’s songs, the fresh chordings actually make it easier to get the chorus stuck in your head.

“Halfway To The Stars,” a story of a girl searching for fame only to lose herself in the process, is another track that has a familiar chord structure from days past, yet its unique and refreshing. Even the bridge is different that you hear with so many of today’s songwriters.

It would be absolutely amazing to hear what these guys would put out with a producer like Butch Walker, Don Gilmore or Glen Ballard. With the energy of any of the aforementioned producers and the skillful writing the band possesses, Throwback Suburbia would have number one hits coming out of their ass.

From the sing-songy “Same Mistake” to the driving “Say When” to the Partridge Family-esque “Just Need A Day,” Throwback Suburbia has a winning formula to pure power pop pleasure. Throwback Suburbia is the perfect fix for power pop addicts everywhere.

Goldmine

Throwback Suburbia’s self-titled disc is a most excellent slice of power pop that at various times recalls pop music stalwarts such as Jellyfish and Rubinoos (among others) and comes off as sounding not unlike a divine cross between Sun Sawed In Half and Rooney. Now that I’m almost done with the obscure comparisons, let me try to explain why this album is simply marvelous: the 13 cuts feature sweet, impassioned lead vocals (courtesy of Jimi Evans, who sounds a little like Kyle Vincent on steroids), glistening harmonies, sticky choruses, impeccably layered and textured production, and instrumental attack that’s alternately hard-edged and lilting... need I say more?

Okay, you twisted my arm. Here’s more: “You’ll Never Know” is a heart-tugging, Bedfinger-esque slow one; “Private Oasis” showcases a bit of the Jellyfish influence (although Throwback Suburbia are not nearly as obsessively ornate); “Perfectly Okay” mixes modern rock with a middle eastern influence and is one of two tracks mixed by the legendary Jack Douglas; “Same Mistake” is a superb power pop song, plain and simple; the jaunty “Head Over Heels” begins by borrowing the opening riff from ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky” and includes a large dose of TS’s fab harmonies; “Asking Why” begins with quickly strummed guitars and piano flourishes, then quickly moves into a surging, unforgettable chorus. Fabulous stuff, all. Trust me on this one: if you’re a fan of power pop, you need to hear Throwback Suburbia.

Absolute Powerpop

Heads up power poppers! Portland, Oregon’s Throwback Suburbia returns with the follow up to their fine 2007 release “Four Play” and has taken a great leap forward. Their self-titled third album is an instant contender for the upper reaches of year-end lists and truly represents what most people think of as “power pop.”

Their influences range from Jellyfish to The Tories to Velvet Crush as well as Cheap Trick, and they get your attention right away with “Private Oasis.” This track has it all, from clever lyrics to crunchy guitars to some nice piano fills (think The 88’s “Hide Another Mistake”). “Asking Why” recalls The Raspberries, “Rewind” The Tories, and with its sprightly piano and quirky melody, “Head Over Heels” is straight out of the Jellyfish playbook.