Release Date: 31 March 2023
Label: Curation Records
Packaging Type: Slip Sleeve (CD or Vinyl)
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 850014131722
Release Date: 31 March 2023
Label: Curation Records
Packaging Type: Slip Sleeve (CD or Vinyl)
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 850014131647
Description
Having been a founding member of one of the most revered power pop bands of all time tends to be a footnote that follows you
around. Yet Jody Stephens' contribution to the pop canon goes well beyond his beginnings in Big Star, helping to refine
alt-country with Golden Smog and shaping the Ardent Records legacy well into the current era. Following the outpouring of
love around the documentary, Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me, Jody reached out to his longtime friend, producer and songwriter
Luther Russell to join him for some promotional appearances. A comfortability on stage became a kinship in the studio and
eventually led to two albums as Those Pretty Wrongs. The comfort between the duo is key to what makes Those Pretty Wrongs
work. Luther and Jody bounce ideas off of one another with the kind of natural symbiosis that all bands shoot to achieve.
Heading into their third album, the band found themselves a new haven in the rising California outpost of Cosmic Americana,
Roots, and Power Pop: Curation Records. Following the reissue of their two previous albums by the label in May, Holiday Camp
finds Those Pretty Wrongs crafting a record that's autumnal, searching for solace, and yet unsettled. The title is a nod to
both wistful summers at bygone British institutions, the favored gig fodder for their '60s heroes, and the more sinister
implications of Tommy's Holiday Camp -- communal, but with a cost. There's a promise of hope in that turn of phrase, but
there's a slightly dark undercurrent peeking out behind the wallpaper. Those cracks break through most prominently on the
simmering frustrations of "Scream," and the disheartened pleas of "Paper Cup."
Holiday Camp finds more than a few friends turning up to lace songs with their contributions. Recorded from their own home
studios, string arrangements from Chris Stamey, moog from Wilco's Patrick Sansone, and glockenspiel from Mitch Easter all
bolster the record's mercurial grace. The physical distance does little to dampen the sense of communal ease that holds tight
at the album's core.
With shades of home-grown Memphis power pop, nods to Apple Records alums, and an appeal that trickles down to fans of
open-hearted pop from Emmit Rhodes to The Elephant 6, Those Pretty Wrongs draw the listener into an environment that's
familiar and fragrant. Luther's arrangements have a timeless temperance that wraps around the listener. Jody's songwriting is
as honest as ever. It's a hand reaching out in the darkness, and a shoulder cry on. From the sunset serentity of "New
September Song," to the pastoral chamber folk of "Brother, My Brother," the songs blanket the listener in a bittersweet
bliss. Jody and Luther's harmonies have taken on a sublime alchemy. Like lost brothers found once more, they weave wonder
into the pensive meditations on "This Painted Sky," and the hopeful send-off of "The Way," With their full catalog in the
steady hands of Curation, the band members find themselves poised to re-examine their past while excited to enter a new era
with their most affecting album on the way.
Description
Having been a founding member of one of the most revered power pop bands of all time tends to be a footnote that follows you
around - Yet Jody Stephens' contribution to the pop canon goes well beyond his beginnings in Big Star, helping to refine
alt-country with Golden Smog and shaping the Ardent Records legacy well into the current era.
Following the outpouring of
love around the documentary, Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me, Jody reached out to his longtime friend, producer and songwriter
Luther Russell to join him for some promotional appearances. A comfortability on stage became a kinship in the studio and
eventually led to two albums as Those Pretty Wrongs. The comfort between the duo is key to what makes Those Pretty Wrongs
work. Luther and Jody bounce ideas off of one another with the kind of natural symbiosis that all bands shoot to achieve.
Heading into their third album, the band found themselves a new haven in the rising California outpost of Cosmic Americana,
Roots, and Power Pop: Curation Records. Following the reissue of their two previous albums by the label in May, Holiday Camp
finds Those Pretty Wrongs crafting a record that's autumnal, searching for solace, and yet unsettled. The title is a nod to
both wistful summers at bygone British institutions, the favored gig fodder for their '60s heroes, and the more sinister
implications of Tommy's Holiday Camp -- communal, but with a cost. There's a promise of hope in that turn of phrase, but
there's a slightly dark undercurrent peeking out behind the wallpaper. Those cracks break through most prominently on the
simmering frustrations of "Scream," and the disheartened pleas of "Paper Cup."
Holiday Camp finds more than a few friends turning up to lace songs with their contributions. Recorded from their own home
studios, string arrangements from Chris Stamey, moog from Wilco's Patrick Sansone, and glockenspiel from Mitch Easter all
bolster the record's mercurial grace. The physical distance does little to dampen the sense of communal ease that holds tight
at the album's core.
With shades of home-grown Memphis power pop, nods to Apple Records alums, and an appeal that trickles down to fans of
open-hearted pop from Emmit Rhodes to The Elephant 6, Those Pretty Wrongs draw the listener into an environment that's
familiar and fragrant. Luther's arrangements have a timeless temperance that wraps around the listener. Jody's songwriting is
as honest as ever. It's a hand reaching out in the darkness, and a shoulder cry on. From the sunset serentity of "New
September Song," to the pastoral chamber folk of "Brother, My Brother," the songs blanket the listener in a bittersweet
bliss. Jody and Luther's harmonies have taken on a sublime alchemy. Like lost brothers found once more, they weave wonder
into the pensive meditations on "This Painted Sky," and the hopeful send-off of "The Way," With their full catalog in the
steady hands of Curation, the band members find themselves poised to re-examine their past while excited to enter a new era
with their most affecting album on the way.
Tracklisting
Tracklisting
Thomas Walsh
Trevor Beld Jimenez
Stewart Forgey
Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes
GospelbeacH
Uni Boys
The Evening Sons
Beachwood Sparks
Those Pretty Wrongs
