I reviewed Mo Troper's debut solo album, Beloved, in Late 2016 and all it's lo-fi Glory here. In the review, I hoped that he would reach for the stars. Well with Exposure And Response he has and the results are extraordinarily good.
All the hooks are there, every song is a joy, but the arrangements are the step up. This is Power Pop Heaven. Across it's 15 songs there is a mixture of the short and the long. The short are generally unexpected and very different to the Pop that surrounds them.
I've seen Brian Wilson comparisons mentioned by reviewers, I don't see them at all to be honest. this in Mike Viola Pop Rock Territory. The bright string and brass arrangements only enhance that Viola feel, the whole thing is a joyful listen.
There's a real social commentary in the lyrics, but I suspect many will not go that deep, the hooks will be what grabs them. The hook is most prevalent in Freebin, a simple enough love song with jangling hooks shooting out of it's pores.
Dictator Out Of Work is equally great, especially it's almost Lounge like Brass and Posies like twang. Big School is the sort of song that Weezer used to do well, Tow Truck too. although there are hints of the likes of The Sugarplastic there too.
Your Brand is so cynical, but done in such a sweet way that it's hard for even the Marketing Gurus to get irritated. It's a beautifully arranged stomp. Maybe the best song on the album. But it's hard to choose. 15 songs in 30 minutes that just race by. Beloved may have been lo-fi, this is Hi-Fi with a capital H. It's great to hear string and Brass arrangements in such melodic upbeat songs.
You can listen to and buy the album here. You should!
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