For fans of 1960s psychedelic music, it is almost expected that any expertly crafted psych-pop song should sound magical to the ears. I’m pleased to say that the newest single from the Scottish band, The Poppermost, titled “I Don’t Want To Know” certainly captures that magic.
Releasing on Oct. 4 on streaming platforms, the frontman of The Poppermost, Joe Kane, provided me with the single a few days early for this review.
Kane, a veteran of several prominent Beatles tribute bands, including Them Beatles and more recently, The Love Beatles, has a long and diverse career in music. His work covers essentially all genres, with mixes released under Joe Kane/Radiophonic Tuckshop focusing on driving rhythms and harmonies. Also, his work with Dr Cosmo’s Tape Lab features a unique branch of sunshine-pop. Honing a Beatles-esque though original sound with The Poppermost, Kane has taken one-man music production to new heights.
Before diving into “I Don’t Want To Know,” it’s worth mentioning the history of The Poppermost up to this point. Between 2020 and 2021, Kane wrote and produced several singles, an EP and the album “Hits to Spare.” More recently, Kane was joined in 2023 by Craig McGown (formerly of Them Beatles), Ross Wilson and Richard Anderson, to fill out The Poppermost’s rhythm section on “Les Poppermost EP.”
Each release from The Poppermost features a distinct and evolving sound, crafted in Kane’s “Fabbey Road” home studio — or rather, garage studio. From “Hits to Spare,” tracks like “In & Out” and “Laziest Fella In The Realm” show a lyrical and instrumental blend that creates a vivid Poppermost soundscape. In tandem, rockers like “Yes It’s True,” “Egg and Chips” and “Well I Will” capture Kane’s performative energy and solid riff-work.
So, with The Poppermost’s releases in context, what does this latest single, “I Don’t Want To Know” unveil about the upcoming 14-track album, “Fabracadabra,” and the newest sounds from The Poppermost? For starters, it redefines the sound of the band.
The track opens with a brief and sufficiently trippy guitar line, then shifts quickly into a richly textured and rhythmically looping folk-pop tune. Kane makes his guitar work sound almost like a harpsichord, creating a beautiful blend between his Gibson J-160E and Framus 12-string. Propping the guitars up is a bouncy and exceptionally melodic baseline played by Kane on a Rickenbacker 4001. The part adds a distinct counter melody into the mix, not dissimilar to Paul McCartney’s bass work circa 1966-1967.
Complimenting the bass part is a layered instrumentation featuring reversed and effect-heavy guitar lines, as well as organ and piano fills at several breaks in the vocals. The backing comes together in what I’d consider to be The Poppermost’s least “Merseybeat” reliant piece. “I Don’t Want To Know” catapults the band (and Kane’s production) into an era of psych-pop and innovative instrumentation that I am optimistic will be featured throughout “Fabracadabra.”
The track is also a deviation from The Poppermost’s norm of catchy, though relatively simple lyrical structure. Singing on the realities of life which many people (myself included) quite frankly “don’t want to know,” the writing is a step in the right direction for Kane and The Poppermost, as the lyrics have a certain eerie, yet positive quality to them.
Lines such as, “I like to be seen, but I have nothing to show,” show an introspection similar to Brian Wilson’s pleas in “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times” off “Pet Sounds.” Kane’s singing elevates his words into a trippy and emotive blend that is sure to require many listens to fully grasp: “Let’s end the day with an inverted frown / There’s always someone trying to make the scene / No need to be mean.”
The lyrics are a strongpoint of the track, but they rest on a truly top-tier backing assembled by Kane. I try not to give perfect scores very frequently; however, with the new direction The Poppermost is heading, I feel nearly the same excitement as I did listening to “Revolver” by The Beatles for the first time. The track just invites curiosity, and each listen rewards the listener with a new layer of the mix revealing itself to be just as brilliant as the rest.
Loopy psych-pop may not be for everyone, but it’s certainly for me. “Fabracadabra” is gearing up to be a release to keep an eye out for. “I Don’t Want To Know” releases this Friday, Oct. 4 on most streaming platforms and will be available for download on Bandcamp.
Rating: 5/5