"Take A Good Look" at Paul Collins

If you’re a power pop fan, then I’ve got just the album to brighten up your day and chase away your winter blues. Paul Collins, best known for his work with The Nerves, The Breakaways and The Beat, aka The Paul Collins Beat, is back with a marvelous new release, Stand Back and Take a Good Look, which comes out February 16 on JEM Records. This outstanding record is a power pop fans dream come true. The disc includes appearances by Shoes, 20/20, Richard X. Heyman, and the late Dwight Twilley, who appears on the fabulous "I'm The Only One for You."

Stand Back and Take a Good Look features a superb collection of songs, including "Will You Come Through?" written by Paul's former bandmate Peter Case, "Another World," and "You Can't Go Back," co-written by Collins with Steven Huff, the bassist for The Beat, and even more melodic slices of pop perfection such as "How Will I Know," "Liverpool" and "That's When I Think of You." There's also the exuberant title track, which will almost certainly get stuck in your head and earworm its way onto your list of power pop favorites.

It's clear from his marvelous work here that Collins, who took a break from the music world for a while, hasn't lost his ability to craft marvelous rock and roll tunes seasoned with a touch of New Wave and a dash of punk. The album offers a great overview of the signature sound of the man who's been dubbed the "King of Power Pop." The songs on Stand Back and Take a Good Look are sparkling, swirling, and scintillating examples of the genre at its finest. Collins sounds terrific throughout the record, providing top-notch vocals and masterful rhythm guitar. In addition to the guest stars mentioned earlier, the album also features solid work by Prairie Prince and Ronnie Barnett.

Paul Collins adds another great album to his much celebrated oeuvre with Stand Back and Take a Good Look. While it might seem a bit early to be talking about "best albums of the year," I think you'll find this phenomenal record landing on a lot of top ten lists at the end of 2024. For more on Paul and his music, you can visit https://thepaulcollinsbeat.com/. Follow this link to check out one of my favorite tracks from the disc, the extraordinary "I'm The Only One For You," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L89KbKNtGR4, which was recently dubbed a "Coolest Song In The World" by Little Steven's Underground Garage on Sirius XM Radio.