Anyway you look at it this is pure pop music of the highest order. Drawing on influences from the 60's and 70's (The Who, Small Faces and The Jam all spring to mind), the band have then sprinkled it with some modern influences (there is certainly a hint of the Kaiser Chiefs and the Fratellis in places) to come up with the best pop record we've heard for quite a while. "I Want You Back Now" is a storming opening that is driven along on the wave of a thumping drum beat; while "Love Is Just A Game" comes over like Marc Bolan & T Rex updated for the 'naughties'. With "Cryin' Over You" we are presented with a worthy blend of pop, doo-wop and 50's rock & roll. "Hypnotized" skillfully mixes 60's pop with modern rock to give us the track of the album, and with "Goodbye Little Girl" it seems that all their influences are brought together into one neatly condensed, 2½ minute pop package to give us another superb high spot. With a collection of highly catchy and radio friendly tunes that showcase a skillfully blended pop sound, this could be a band to watch out for.

Anyway you look at it this is pure pop music of the highest order. Drawing on influences from the 60's and 70's (The Who, Small Faces and The Jam all spring to mind), the band have then sprinkled it with some modern influences (there is certainly a hint of the Kaiser Chiefs and the Fratellis in places) to come up with the best pop record we've heard for quite a while. "I Want You Back Now" is a storming opening that is driven along on the wave of a thumping drum beat; while "Love Is Just A Game" comes over like Marc Bolan & T Rex updated for the 'naughties'. With "Cryin' Over You" we are presented with a worthy blend of pop, doo-wop and 50's rock & roll. "Hypnotized" skillfully mixes 60's pop with modern rock to give us the track of the album, and with "Goodbye Little Girl" it seems that all their influences are brought together into one neatly condensed, 2½ minute pop package to give us another superb high spot. With a collection of highly catchy and radio friendly tunes that showcase a skillfully blended pop sound, this could be a band to watch out for.

During the fifteen minutes that Detroit became the center of the garage rock universe in the wake of the White Stripes' breakthrough, The Singles received a bit of international acclaim for their debut album, 2003's Better Than Before, but like a number of other Motor City bands, the hype machine didn't turn over for them, and four years later leader Vince Frederick is fronting a new line-up of Singles for the pointedly titled Start Again. However, Frederick thankfully is still in firm command of the gifts that made the earlier version of the band memorable — British Invasion style melodies, pop hooks galore, and plenty of energy, with the results sounding a good bit more like the Flamin' Groovies than, say, fellow Detroiters the Dirtbombs. Frederick wrote a dozen solid pop songs for this set, and he sings them with commendable spirit and force, and his new rhythm section (John Hale on bass and Brian Thunders on drums) are entirely simpatico, knowing when to push hard on a rocker like "I Want You Back Now" or "Start Again" and when to ease back on the more measured "Better Days" and the heart-broken "I Don't Wanna Be The Last To Know". Jim Diamond, who produced Better Than Before, is back behind the board for this set, and he gives the Singles a full-bodied sound that's equally friendly to the crunchy guitars and the precise harmonies. If you ever wondered what happened to power pop, it's alive and well and living in the Singles' rehearsal space, and with any luck Start Again will earn this band the recognition they richly deserve.

Any band coming out of Detroit right now still gets the garage rock comparisons. Leave that thought at the door because The Singles hail from Detroit but only share some qualities with those other bands like their liveliness and tight musicianship. The Singles are a straight up power pop band that have a very modern Kinks sound. Start Again is The Singles sophomore release and it expands on the retro sound found on their debut Better Than Before [2003], while still retaining the heart of the band and never leaving that core sound. What does stand out is that Start Again turns up the amps a bit more with heavier rockers like “I Want You Back Now” and “Hypnotized” that sound great blaring at high volumes. The album also has better transitions that flow seamlessly track to track and balance the harder charging songs with perfect timeless 2 minute Buddy Hollyish nuggets such as “Cryin’ Over You”. If you have not checked out The Singles, I would recommend you pick up both Start Again and Better Than Before because they are a breath of fresh air that really do a great job of repackaging a sixties sound for a new generation. Trust me you will be entertained! Key Tracks: "Love Is Just A Game", "Hypnotized", "I Want You Back Now"