Artist: Johan
Title: Pergola
Label: Excelsior Recordings
Format: CD
Price: $13.50

One of the best pop albums of the past five years! We heard this back in 2001, played it every day for weeks and feverishly tried to license this album from Johan’s Dutch label Excelsior. The band had great things going in Germany and was maybe looking for bigger things in the U.S. spinART had released one of the band’s previous albums so we figured maybe they had the inside track. Then, nothing. No communication. No domestic release. I have been waiting since Parasol’s inauguration of the “staff pick” to write about “Pergola.” We finally have import copies at a domestic price. And, the first five are special, First Edition, numbered versions in a digipak design. How did we land those? Like the AC Newman “Slow Wonder” album, this album bridges the indie and power pop camps. There’s just enough quirkiness to twist the ear each listen, and the soaring choruses and harmony vocals suck you in. Jim suggested that it could be the proper follow up to Matthew Sweet’s “Girlfriend.” Some major keys, some minor keys. Falsetto vocals in just the right places. A weirdo fuzz guitar solo. Plucked strings. Some Jellyfish-esque production. It’s all here. Get it while you can.

Special offer: First five orders for Johan's CD will receive the special limited First Edition numbered CD gatefold version. Very handsome. Regular jewelcase version also available.