The New Wave

Despite their name, the New Wave were not some trend-hopping band of the late '70s or early '80s, but a soft rock sunshine pop duo of the late '60s. Comprised of singer/songwriters Tommy Andre and Reid King, they put out an obscure, self-titled album on the Canterbury label, also the home of fellow sunshine poppers the Yellow Balloon. Very little is known about the New Wave, though from the album sleeve pictures they look extremely young, most likely still in their teens. The album is in fact so soft and pop-ish that its relationship to rock music is slight and it sometimes sounds geared as much or more to the adult pop market as the pop/rock one. Their material emphasizes breezy, samba-influenced close-harmony romantic tunes, acoustic guitars, and light percussion embroidered by vibes and some orchestration. The music is pleasant but fluffy, somewhat like the most pop-oriented material by Chad & Jeremy, though the resemblance isn't extremely strong.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo