Rock Archeologia

Three Hour Tour - Looking for Tomorrow (2010 Martian Records)

Artist: Three Hour Tour
Album: Looking for Tomorrow
Label: Martian Records
Catalog #: MAR-005
Release: 2010
Country: US
Genre: Pop, Rock, Indie Power Pop
Format: FLAC (tracs+.cue+log)
Bitrate: lossless
Duration: 00:35:55

• All songs by Darren Cooper except On Television, by Darren Cooper, Ken Glosser and Adam Schmitt, and Heaven and Hell, by John Entwistle.
• Amazing new album from one of the power pop genre`s finest acts, Three Hour Tour. This is classic modern power pop - think lots of Velvet Crush and Matthew Sweet. As great as "B Side Oblivion" was back in 2008, "Looking For Tomorrow" tops it in spades. Darren Cooper, leader of Three Hour Tour, delivers full-throttle.
• No doubt, Cooper is back and delivers the powerful statement power pop fans long for. You will hear refrains of Myracle Brah's Andy Bopp, post-Beatles/Badfinger, Velvet Crush and just a insanely refreshing batch of songs all over the 10 tracks here.
• Featuring the massive talents of Brad Elvis, Adam Schmitt, John Richardson (Tommy Keene, Gin Blossoms) and Paul Chastain (a band called Velvet Crush... rings a bell?); these three names are, come to think of it, all you need to know that this CD ROCKS - huge. No question: One of 2010's very, very best. Period. No more hyperbole needed, just a fact.

• Looking For Tomorrow is Darren Cooper's Champaign, Illinois-based outfit Three Hour Tour's return to shelves. It's a follow-up to B Side Oblivion (2007). Before that there was the singles collection album 1969 (1996). Darren Cooper is a multi-talented veteran of many pop bands, including the 1980s group Choo Choo Train -- a band featuring Ric Menck and Paul Chastain, who later started the semi-legendary Velvet Crush. Chastain contributes to Looking For Tomorrow, which is a true power pop gem. Vintage power pop, old school style, done with punch and pride. Not to forget powerful melodies strutting with catchiness.
• Velvet Crush is a good reference to pinpoint Three Hour Tour, as is the world of Matthew Sweet. Add Bob Mould's pop-muscular Sugar, plus the Posies, Guided By Voices, and Myracle Brah, and we're just about there. One could also mention classic 1970's acts like Raspberries, Badfinger and Big Star. And, one might also mention 1960's bands like The Who and The Small Faces, just to make sure to draw the full line backwards. Darren Cooper has written 9 of the 10 tracks, the last one is a loose and brilliant take on The Who's "Heaven and Hell". The other players are: Adam Schmitt (bass, keyboards), drummers John Richardson (Gin Blossoms, and others) and Brad Elvis (of The Romantics, Handcuffs, Elvis Brothers), and the aforementioned Paul Chastain (who's also played with Matthew Sweet).
• Looking For Tomorrow is probably looking more for yesterday than tomorrow music-wise. yet it's a solid and delicious record if you're into pure, pleasant power-pop. Clocking in at 36 minutes it's also a perfectly lengthy record, if you're asking me. Opener "Pig In Disguise" is Matthew Sweet meets Bob Mould's Sugar, and a good starter for the album. This and the following songs prove Darren Cooper to be a song-smith crafting his tunes with passion and skill (and he's a great guitar player). No bullshit, no fake make-up, simply stripped elegance.
• The only problem is that it might - sometimes - sound too perfect. But, by all means... this aside Looking For Tomorrow is half an hour of good company. Just check "All Time Low" and "Dead Reckoning". And the Who cover. Thumbs up.

 • Tracklist:

01. Pig in Disguise 03:43
02. For Now We Say Goodnight 03:03
03. On Television 04:20
04. Alcatraz 03:53
05. All Time Low 03:36
06. All We Need 02:54
07. Looking For Tomorrow 03:45
08. Dead Reckoning 03:56
09. Gone 03:19
10. Heaven and Hell 03:26

Produced by Cooper and Schmitt.
Recorded by Adam Schmitt, Jon Pines & Darren Cooper
at Private Studios, Urbana IL,
and the Schmitt Factory, Urbana IL.
Engineered by Adam Schmitt and Jon Pines.

Members:

Darren Cooper - All Guitars, All Vocals, Percussion
Adam Schmitt - Bass, Keyboards
Paul Chastain (Velvet Crush, Matthew Sweet) - Bass Guitar
Brad Elvis (The Romantics, Handcuffs, Elvis Brothers) - Drums
John Richardson (Gin Blossoms, Tommy Keene) - Drums

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