Brewery Records
2006
The Tickets
About This Album
The Tickets revel in the simple joys of power pop: crisp, hooky love songs about boys and girls. This Orange Country, CA, outfit of Anglophiles draws its inspiration from such British performers as Squeeze, Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, and, naturally, the Beatles. While the music sounds quite fresh today, these tracks actually were recorded in the late '80s. The Tickets, a popular southern California act from 1985-1995, put out a cassette-only release, The Tickets Make a Record, in 1990 that forms the basis of this CD. Occasionally their influences show through a bit too readily, as in the Beatlesque "Dream About Me" or the Costello-like "The One That I Loved"; however, this album sails along with an infectious energy. Frontman/songwriter Bryan Shaddix proves to be a real discovery. He pens instantly catchy tunes and delivers them with robust vocals. A fine guitarist as well, Shaddix receives support from his lively rhythm section. Marcos De La Cruz's active drumming recalls Blondie's Clem Burke, while bassist Andy Winston has a bit of the Attractions' Bruce Thomas in him. The disc's buoyant pace flags only slightly on the sole ballad, "Everything," but it immediately bounces back with the wonderful rave-up "How the Good Things Come," one of the Tickets' top efforts.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,5,7 and 12)

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