Published on Oct 27, 2017
There are supergroups and then there are sort-of supergroups. John Cowsill of the 1960s pop group the Cowsills, Vicki Peterson of the Bangles, and Bill Mumy (producer, singer, and child actor of Lost In Space) have combined their talents to produce the album Angels Hear by their newly formed group, Action Skulls.
While the music is modern sounding, in many ways, it contains a retro approach that harkens back to the 1970s California and West Coast sound. They basically produce shiny pop music that travels in a number of directions. There is the uptempo toe-tapper “The Luckiest Man Alive,” the maudlin “I’ll See You In Another World,” the acoustic “Map Of The World,” and the bluesy “Feed My Hungry Heart.”
The harmonies are not only well-crafted but interesting. Their voices are very different, but they blend together well. Whether the style is laidback or energetic, the harmonies – which can be subtle or soaring –remain the foundation of their sound.
“Feed My Hungry Heart” is representative of their approach. Each member of the group takes a turn singing lead and they all come together to harmonize on the chorus.
Angels Hear was about four years in the making. Eight songs had been recorded when original member, bassist Rick Rosas, passed away. That loss and the other members’ own schedules put everything on hold for several years. Whether the Action Skulls ever records another album remains to be seen. But Angels Hear is an excellent disc of well-crafted pop that proves musicians from different backgrounds can create very listenable music together.