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The Forgotten 45’s: “Stop” – the unique blend of melodic indie rock transcends classification!

The Forgotten 45’s are an indie power pop group based in Olympia, WA. The band are introduced as follows: “A singer who learned to speak from his mother teaching him Beatles songs; a drummer born deaf until his hearing developed slowly at a young age; A classically trained singer/violinist turned guitar player and a bass player trained for years in a church gospel group.  Their Sound is inspired by the classic rock singles of the Beatles, the Zombies, and 50’s pop but with the indie style of Weezer and Death Cab for Cutie, and the energy of the Seattle grunge scene.” Now if that doesn’t raise expectations, tell me what does!

The album cover
The album cover

To convince of their heritage and doings, The Forgotten 45’s released their 10-track album, entitled “Stop”. Nolan McSheridan (Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Keys), Michael Rossi (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals), David Gies (Drums) and Cosmo The White Samurai (Bass) have managed to combine the best in indie pop-rock sounds with everything from acoustic ballads, psychedelic sounds and pure rockers. While they maintain strong melodies and pop influence, there is still a hint of experimental sounds throughout this album – whether it’s from odd keyboard approaches or lead guitar tones, The Forgotten 45’s  have created an album that, regardless of their influences, cannot be compared to anything but…The Forgotten 45’s.

For a debut release, it’s nice to see a band being a band and not following current trends. The Forgotten 45’s could very easily be one of the finest new bands I have discovered in 2015. Not one track on this album needs skipping past – they all work on all sorts of levels. I am not the type of person who plays an album twice in a row, or even once every day; I usually wait a few days between listens, not wanting to over-play an album to death. But “Stop” is different. I can’t get enough of it. And on every listen, I discover new things: new hooks, cool rhythm stuff, weird little sounds in the background. The songs are the kind that work themselves into your brain and rattle around in there for several days, and you don’t mind at all. They are all standout tracks, except one or two, and even those are still very good songs.

The Forgotten 45's
The Forgotten 45’s

Lush vocal lines by Nolan McSheridan and complimentary guitar quirks transport the listener into the euphoric world of The Forgotten 45’s. Their unique blend of melodic indie rock transcends classification and stays fresh from song to song. The title song, “Stop” opens the album with a hopeful air and captivating slow bounce. However the true gems are buried deeper into the track list with “Pink Azaleas”, “Mistress”, “When I Was A Kid”, “Wallow In The Mire”, and my personal favorites, “State of Affairs” and “New Year”.

While on the surface this would appear to be a delicate set of melodic songs, a close listen will reveal that everything here is driven by wiry and tough rhythms. It’s this toughness that sets The Forgotten 45’s apart from their indie rock brethren. Of course what really elevates “Stop” to a level of greatness is the fantastic song writing and performing abilities of the band. So many bands since the Beatles have populated the land of left field indie rock and pop that you would think nothing could sound unique while not giving up those catchy pop tendencies. And that’s the brilliance of The Forgotten 45’s; they match bouncy hooks and charming melodies with just enough creative tenacity to make this a refreshing experience.

There can be no doubt that “Stop” is the start of something great. Add this to your collection now so you can brag to your friends that you found The Forgotten 45’s first, before they blow up real big and it’s too late to stake your claim!

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