Jamie & Steve - 'English Afterthoughts'
Multi-instrumentalists/singers/songwriters Jamie Hoover and Steve Stoeckel probably casually hum better melodies than most professional songwriters compose.

The two Charlotte-based artists – one-half of that Brit-pop juggernaut The Spongetones – show off their uncanny pop compositional/performing skills on this, their first duo recording.

The disc’s dozen delicious sonic confections burst with Brit-invasion/Merseybeat influences. Besides the obvious Beatle inspirations, the disc abounds with references to such bands as the Move, the Kinks, the Hollies, the Searchers, Peter & Gordon and such post-invasion outfits as 10CC, the Records and XTC.

The two entirely wrote, performed, engineered and produced this gem offering shimmering, joyful pop highlighted by layers of vocal and guitar harmonies, deceptively simple rhythms and stratas of musical embellishments. Although the tunes sound like lost mid-’60s “Top of the Pops” hits, there’s no mimicry here.

For shear timeless pop delights, Jamie and Steve’s music is no afterthought.

– Eric Feber, The Pilot

Tracks to download “Emily's Ghost" and “Fly Girl”
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