Chicago’s power pop rock outfit Too Much Saturn released a new single recently. It’s called “Blame Game,” and is about being in a relationship where one party feels like they get all the blame for any problems.
Of course, since the Blame Game is a collective concept, the complainant could be camouflaging their own utilization of the Blame Game by suggesting they get all the blame. It’s a double-edged sword.
Made up of Chris Cerasoli (vocals, keyboards), Mark Hoffmann (guitar, vocals), Guy Sheldon (bass, vocals), and Dave Franco (drums, percussion), Too Much Saturn dishes out power pop full of big harmonies, even bigger drums, a 12-string bass, pirouetting keyboards, and jangly guitars.
The band describes their sound as “Midwest Indie Power Pop. An original mix of melody and hooks consisting of one part indie spirit and two parts pop sensibility – all shaken not stirred!”
“Blame Game” opens on a crunching drum shuffle flowing into a power pop tune full of shimmering guitars and a sparkling piano. Sheldon’s fat bass line and Franco’s Thor-like snare drive the undulating rhythm, as washes of harmonic colors suffuse the tune in thickly layered radiance. A brief breakdown on a wailing guitar note gives the music a tantalizing sonic shift.
The deliciously penetrating resonance of the harmonics infuses the tune with a wall-of-sound texture reminiscent of the heady days of Motown. Yet the individual surfaces can be discerned within the amalgamation, giving the melody an intoxicating subtlety.
Cerasoli’s voice, a rich and smooth tenor, imbues the lyrics with luxurious emotional commitment and resolve as he makes his lyrical case.
“When I look you in the eye / Comes as no surprise – you look away / Caught in – a beautiful white lie / For about the hundredth time / In as many days / But, I can see no reason why – Hey, Hey, Hey.”
“Blame Game” is tasty power pop, full of potent rhythmic pulses, layers of brimming colors, all topped off with Cerasoli’s alluring voice.
