Ignored   Obscured Restored

Sharp Pins, the Chicago power-pop group led by 21-year-old Kai Slater, released their third album, Balloon Balloon Balloon, last year.  The remarkably prolific Slater keeps himself busy with several projects, including Sharp Pins, the post-punk outfit Lifeguard, and the psychedelic folk duo Dwaal Troupe.  (He also publishes the Hallogallo zine.)

Sharp Pins inhabit much of the same retro territory once explored by XTC’s psychedelic alter ego, The Dukes of Stratosphear.  Their music draws heavily from British Invasion-era garage rock and power pop, packed with jangly guitars, infectious melodies, and enough psychedelic flourishes to keep things interesting.

The album’s opening track, the Cryan’ Shames-inspired “Popafangout,” is a perfect introduction.

“Oh popafangout / She don’t know what you’re shouting about”

I have no idea what this means, and something tells me Slater may not either.  More likely, it’s a delightfully nonsensical phrase chosen for its sound rather than its meaning — a bit of psychedelic wordplay that perfectly complements the song’s kaleidoscopic charm.

If “Popafangout” catches your ear, there’s plenty more where that came from. Balloon Balloon Balloon packs in another twenty tracks, with only one stretching beyond the three-and-a-half-minute mark. It’s a brisk, hook-filled ride that never overstays its welcome.

Enjoy… until next week.