If you haven’t been paying close attention, you might be surprised that Ben Cook’s new album as Young Guv is so unabashedly perky pop. After all, his biggest claim to fame is playing in two of Canada’s most successful hardcore punk bands, Fucked Up and No Warning.
But Ripe 4 Luv’s glistening harmonies and platinum-pop hooks seem less left-field if you’ve been following the Toronto musician’s ever-growing list of startlingly diverse side projects or his ghostwriting for chart-topping mainstream acts. Drawing on that quirky resumé is what makes these summer-day guitar pop gems so successful.
The most obvious reference point is Big Star, but there’s a subtle soul-pop undercurrent that sets it apart from the legions of Alex Chilton power-pop imitators. An intriguing tension exists between the lo-fi production touches and pristine hi-fi sounds, and similarly between Cook’s joking/not-joking attitude.
Plus, it’s a good thing when more than half of the album’s songs are in the running for “top track.”
Top track: Ripe For Love
