5 Overlooked NYC Albums in the Mid-Year Sweep
Sharpless – The One I Wanted to Be (physical release out August 26 via Father/Daughter; out now digitally)
I’ve been waiting a long time to compare a band to Ozma. Sharpless’ power-pop surge comes with the Weezer associate’s notable playfulness, so a group chorus from what could be a robot gang (Seattle wise guys BOAT also come to mind) is right at home on Brooklyn native Jack Greenleaf’s sophomore album. His project Sharpless thrives on over-the-top musical theater bombast, where every note sounds like it’s being sung by a superhero. But as evidenced by lines like, “The kind of love that only comes from being home with Mom and Dad”–from a song called “You’ve Got a Lot of Feelings,” natch–it’s definitely not being sung by a superhero. Listen here.