Doug Powell Releases

• Curiouser
• More
• The Lost Chord
• Day For Night
• Four Seasons
• 
• Return to Music Store

Doug Powell

“Curiouser”

Todd Rundgren associate Doug Powell released his first solo disc on Mercury Records a few years back, and then was unceremoniously dropped from the label’s roster. Happens every day, right? Well, sure. But how often does an artists follow-up to their major label debut end up being an amazing collection of eight-track demos (released on an indie label) that absolutely blows away their previous work? That's the unlikely feat that Nashville's Doug Powell has managed to achieve on “Curiouser.”

Even though the sonics may be a bit lacking, these performances are certainly not noticeably flawed in any way, shape or form, despite Powell’s liner note apology to the contrary. And the reason that fans of passionate, literate, soulful pop-rock will covet this disc is not because of the sound, but rather for the sheer brute strength of the songs and Powell’s emotionally charged lead vocals. Tunes like Can’t Break My Heart, Torn and For the Love of God are impeccably constructed, powerfully performed mid-tempo gems that fans of Todd Rundgren and Jules Shear will get plenty of listening mileage out of.

Powell can also wax whimsical (Are You Listening, Betty Flowers), rock it up a little (Let it Rock) and play it spirited and humorous (Just Like Montgomery Clift). There are many nuances to Curiouser (some of the Beatles-influenced backing vocals boggle the mind, as does the choral vocal effect on the disc-ending Goodnight) that reveal themselves upon repeated listens, but the paramount thoughts that keep popping back into the brain are, “The overall feel is too richly textured to be only eight tracks, How, for the love of Todd, could any major label let anyone this talented slip through their fingers?” and “This guy's a fricking pop genius.” Of course, you'll never hear “Curiouser”on the radio, but that’s radio’s loss, and it doesn’t have to be yours.

-John M. Borack, Goldmine Magazine

“Curiouser” is listed at 97 of the best 200 Power Pop albums in the book Shake Some Action - the ultimate Power Pop guide, by John Borack

“Curiouser” MP3 Downloads

“Curiouser” FLAC Downloads

© 1998 Muse Sickle Productions