In the same way that Joe Pernice translates his passionate love of the Bee Gees and Jimmy Webb through his exquisitely breathy baroque pop, Michael Hayes applies a similar Beatles/Hollies ethic to his gorgeous and buzzy pop/alt.country songs. The band’s 2004 eponymous debut was more a collaboration between Hayes and guitarist Andy Santospago featuring a loose collective of musical accompaniment, and hewed closer to alt.country side of their influences. On Vinyl Skyway’s sophomore effort, From Telegraph Hill, Hayes and Santospago are joined by bassist Rob Pevitts and drummer Booth Hardy - Hayes’ bandmates in the late, lamented Lemonpeeler - and keyboardist Dave Lieb, resulting in a shift to the poppier end of their spectrum. There’s still plenty of Gary Louris/Eef Barzelay whisper twang on From Telegraph Hill (“Shuttlecocks,” “Lovely Day”), but it’s tempered with perfect crystalline touches of McCartney’s sprightly Beatles (“Where?”, “Kitchen”) and Nash’s harmonic Hollies (“Hangin’ On,” “Don’t You Like It?”). And the Pernice reference is no sidelong glance, as the all too brief “Sleepwalking” and “Everlong” sound like outtakes from Joe’s last sessions. The Vinyl Skyway’s triumph on From Telegraph Hill is in channeling their swinging pop intuition and Hayes’ incisive and bittersweet lyrical outlook into an infectious and satisfying set of songs that grow with each successive spin.
~ Brian Baker
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