![Motorists. Photo by Michelle Lemay.](https://i0.wp.com/www.rockatnight.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Motorists_1__Michelle_Lemay_.jpeg?resize=678%2C381&ssl=1)
By Ljubinko Zivkovic, Rock At Night Amsterdam
Review: Motorists’ album – Touched by the Stuff – Release date: May 24, 2024
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.rockatnight.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/thumbnail_18-7-Motorists-by-Kyle-Berger-3840x5760px-e1716764154324-300x275.jpg?resize=300%2C275&ssl=1)
Power pop lives on in all of its shapes or forms, the ‘older’ ones from its seventies prime Big Star, Cheap Trick et al, or its newer ones, from Teenage Fan Club to Sloan and elsewhere.
Toronto trio Motorists seem to favor both variants on their second album ‘Touched by the Stuff,’ where they definitely seem to be touched by the sound of guitars – crunchy and jangly, or both at the same time, vocal harmonies all the time, and a good melody tying the guitars into a neat and constantly exciting musical package.
To their power pop concoction they seem to have added touches of the best of nineties Britpop just for good measure, creating that summertime vibe that you might need in your life all year long. It seems that guitarist Craig Fahner and bassist Matt Learoyd, now joined by drummer Nick Mckinlay have found that magic formula that keeps power pop as exciting as it was in its prime.
Farhrner puts it succintly – Our first record essentially emerged in the rehearsal space,” says Fahner. “It was a simpler vibe of getting together with ideas and just seeing what happened. For this album, Matt and I wrote a lot more individually and brought more composed songs. We were really feeling that early ’90s alt-rock on the radio sensibility, with sensitive power-pop that’s made to sound hit-like and huge.”
Just two words: very good!
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https://www.instagram.com/motor.ists/
Motorists (@motor.ists) • Instagram photos and videos
https://bobointegral.bandcamp.com/album/touched-by-the-stuff
Touched by the Stuff | Motorists | Bobo Integral (bandcamp.com)
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3ThrU1d2VW0MMFRzRq0aZQ
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