Hailing from New York and currently a resident of Los Angeles, pop-rock singer-songwriter Theo Katzman edges into power-pop territory on his 2017 full-length Heartbreak Hits. Katzman has made funny, accomplished music with the neo-funk ensemble Vulfpeck, and his 2011 solo debut, Romance Without Finance, has its somewhat melancholy moments. I prefer the more upbeat Heartbreak Hits, which sports a couple of excellent Chris Bell-meets-Grin rockers that combine tense guitar licks with Katzman’s Prince-style tenor vocals. The Heartbreak Hits track “Break Up Together” lays out Katzman’s worldview: “But somehow things have changed,” he sings. “There’s no more laughter, no more kitchen sink.” Like Nashville country-rocker Aaron Lee Tasjan, Katzman operates on the edge of self-conscious retro, but his kitchen-sink approach to pop saves the day. Also appearing Wednesday is singer and Lake Street Dive member Bridget Kearney, who explores post-Beatles pop on her 2017 full-length Won’t Let You Down. EDD HURT
Theo Katzman w/Bridget Kearney
