Harumi - Harumi (1968)
>psychedelic pop, baroque pop, pop rock
"Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do (Love Song)" is an incredible tune, the rest of the first LP is lukewarm baroque pop with incredibly, hilariously awkward vocals. The vocals try to take on a crooner, Sinatra-esque approach, and they fail miserably. Arrangements are also a bit stilted, melodies don't stick and instruments pop out as being incredibly awkward. The last two tracks are cool, if overlong. An album with them, and maybe a bit more variation, would be nice.
2.0+
Secos & Molhados - Secos & Molhados (1974)
>progressive pop, contemporary folk
Not as good as their first one, the melodies are weaker and the sense of carefree exuberance is pretty much gone. There's a really out of place glammy influence that takes over this whole album, and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. When they get back to basics though, it's very nice.
2.5+
Miracle Legion - Surprise Surprise Surprise (1987)
>jangle pop
I'm one of the few people that doesn't really like that Polaris album, so this was a pleasant surprise. I like jangle pop that has a powerful edge to it (see Teenage Fanclub), and this fits the bill perfectly. The country influence is another nice touch, this whole thing has a very lovely down-to-earth, rootsy vibe to it without ever becoming overly country-fried. Some weak tunes here and there, and I'm still not a huge jangle pop fan as a whole. Otherwise, one of the best albums I've heard in the genre.
3.0-
Nolan Porter - No Apologies (1971)
>soul
Given this album's incredibly thick Zappa connections, I expected something more out-there. What I got was one of the most standard soul albums ever. Porter's got a decent voice, but it's not a voice that can effectively carry a soul album, and the arrangements are often weak. There's a pervading sense of fun that takes over the whole record, though, and the whole thing is very nice and easy to listen to.
2.5
