In 1994 musician/journalist Ken Sharp surprised those who where lucky to hear it (it was a Japanese only release) with a splendid debut CD called 1301 HIGHLAND AVENUE.  It took Sharp more than six years to succeed it with HAPPY ACCIDENTS, the title of his second release. Compared to the first one, his latest record sounds more mature, more polished and the production is on a higher level as well. Song wise, Ken Sharp has written some of his best songs to date, like the ballad "You Said You'd Love Me", with some great guitar playing, and the catchy "See Through My Eyes". Some songs on the album have even been given a psychedelic touch, like "Mr. Rain" and "Wrecking Ball ". And the 55 seconds long title track is in fact "psychedelic" from beginning to end, since it is a part of the previous song, played backwards. Although this album won't blow the world of Pop off its feet, it's a very enjoyable one. It's melodic Pop with a capitol P and I wish more records like these would be made. Give this album a chance, you won't be disappointed.
PATRICK BECKERS (7)
 

Ken Sharp’s new disc HAPPY ACCIDENTS handily avoids any sophomore jinx. It contains 13 slabs of bright, razor sharp, slightly quirky pop and is a worthy followup to his 1995 debut, 1301 HIGHLAND AVENUE.    HAPPY ACCIDENTS comes with a couple of testimonial blurbs on the cover from the likes of Eric Carmen and Al Jardine but they’re hardly necessary since the music within more than speaks for itself. Sharp has honed his craft by logging hundreds of hours in front of home recording equipment while wearing out several Teac portastudios. It was obviously time well spent.  “Beautiful” starts things off in fine fashion. The capoed acoustic intro recalls ”Here Comes The Sun” and Nazz member Stewkey sings wonderful backing vocals. “Wrecking Ball” is another standout track. It starts out vaguely like “Curly” by the Move, and then ventures firmly into Beatlesque territory. Sharp sings eerily like Emitt Rhodes channeling the ghost of John Lennon. A murky Mellotron rounds things out nicely. “Brand New Day” sounds even more like Emitt Rhodes. A strong 60’s vibe permeates “Happy Accident”. Subtle touches like maracas, tambourines and Wurlitzer and Mellotron keyboards abound. Sharp evokes The Beatles, The Merry-Go-Round, The Idle Race and first album period Bee Gees, but never slavishly copies anyone. His cover of “Girl Don't Tell Me” is a beautiful tribute to the late Carl Wilson. The quality of the recording and the musicianship are top rate. In particular Tony Pirollos’s cello playing and former Record John Wicks on background vocals should be mentioned. This is possibly the best new pop record I’ve heard this year.
BOBBY SUTLIFF (9.5)
 
 

The Happy Accident that the album is named after, Track 5, seems to be a segment of Track 4 played backwards. Quite what accident led to this happening is left an enigma to the listener. The album is a very enjoyable listen. Lots of great tunes, each one built into its own little nest of orchestration and harmony. Great guitars and layers of vocals give the album a sound that could be used in a dictionary to define Power Pop. To be expected I suppose from a man who writes so well on the subject. The album starts with the aptly named "Beautiful", one of the albums highlights. Sounding very much like something Ross Rice might have created. "See Through My Eyes" follows in a similar vein, with a really rocky guitar driving the track along. On the following track "Mr. Sun" the pace of the album slows to an almost pedantic pace, which it fails to pick up from until the final 3 tracks of the album. While the interceding tracks are all highly enjoyable, the lack of any real variance in tempo from track to track, and the leisurely nature of these tracks, can leave the listening ear slowly being distracted to other things. Of the middle 8 tracks, "Brand New Day" stands out, probably the best track on the album. From the opening bars, it feels like a track with attitude that is reflected in its lyrics and punchy guitars, half way it eases back into some delightful harmonies, before kicking up its heels to a brisk conclusion. The other tracks all deserve a listen, just maybe the use of your cd players shuffle button may help enhance the experience. The album does pick up pace towards its conclusion and the good definitely outweighs the average.
GARETH GETVOLDSEN (5.5)
 
 
 
 
 

Happy Accidents is available at Notlame.com
 
 

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