Orange County Register - Orange Pop
Local acts impress with new releases
Friday, June 29, 2007
By ROBERT KINSLER
Special to the Register
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The second time is a charm for both John Hoskinson and Patty Booker, whose sophomore efforts are sure to please lovers of their debuts, while Project 86 and Kirsten Proffit also impress on their new releases.
John Hoskinson "Pancho Fantastico" (Tallboy Records) – Anyone who laments the relative lack of melody in modern rock should hear the latest release from John Hoskinson. "Pancho Fantastico" is ripe with the appealing sort of songcraft pioneered by the Beatles and championed in more recent times by Crowded House and Fountains of Wayne.
Listening to Hoskinson's 13-song disc is a refreshing and welcome respite from the lifeless and overproduced big budget approach taken nowadays (Gwen Stefani's "The Sweet Escape" immediately comes to mind).
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MASTER OF MELODY: John Hoskinson's new album "Pancho Fantastico" recalls the work of bands such as Crowded House and Fountains of Wayne.
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From the relatively hard-charging "She's Changing My Mind" and the psychedelic ballad "Guaranteed" to the intoxicating "Miss Rejection" and the vaudevillian "Creepy," beautiful harmonies, perfectly rendered arrangements and great songwriting add up to a winning formula across "Pancho Fantastico." No sophomore slump here; Hoskinson's second disc easily equals his wonderful 2004 debut "Miscellaneous Heathen."
Hoskinson will perform at Mr. T's Bowl in Los Angeles at 8:30 p.m. on July 16, and play as part of International Pop Overthrow at Molly Malone's in Los Angeles at 7:30 p.m. on July 31.
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