AJ Croce

Yep, AJ is Jim Croce's boy. But you'll find none of his dad's limp, treacly folk rock here; it's smart, literate pop with an occasional soulful New Orleans edge to it, all the way. You can add some Memphis pop soul à la the Box Tops to the mix as well - his vocals have a husky, smoky hoarseness to them that is sometimes reminiscent of Chilton - and factor in some Beatles, Costello and Posies as well. Transit is his fourth LP and he's veered away from the stride and rootsy piano of his earlier work, though there's still a rootsy flavour to several of the tracks, and for the most part it's poppy as hell. "Turn Out The Light" is a surging soul pop number, while "The Bargain" is a Lennon-esque ballad. "Summer Can't Come Too Soon" is a perfect elbow out the window song with a definitive power pop chorus. It'll make a flawless centrepiece for many a cruising mix tape. "What I Wouldn't Do" is a soulful mid-tempo pop love song, and "Five" is a Stax-y throwaway, kinda like "Soul Finger," and nearly as much fun. It's not often that you get a bracing blend of soul and roots that has such a large dose pure pop injected, but the hybrid vigour is plainly evident.