One of two fine CHRIS CHURCH records being relaunched for 2021 by Big Stir as part of the SPYDERPOP ALBUMS package, BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE had the misfortune to see its initial release in the very first month of the COVID-19 pandemic. That unavoidable accident of timing meant that a large swath of music fans missed out on Church's ambitious reimagining of what he calls “Heavy Melody,” the '80s intersection of hard rock and power pop too easily dismissed by the hipsters of today. “The fun is relentless, and that is what this music is. A backdrop of wholesome music with depth... One thing is undeniable, this passion injected work is a breath of fresh air far removed from the current monotonous tones that dull the airwaves,” wrote Kevin Burke of THE BIG TAKEOVER, while POWER OF POP called it “a literal godsend, evoking the likes of Cheap Trick, Guided By Voices, Splitsville, Fountains of Wayne et al with 12 gorgeous gems that bear repeating.”

Further accolades from the likes of I DON'T HEAR A SINGLE (“No one is making an album like this these days. The guitar is back, thank God!”), THERE ONCE WAS A NOTE (“a pure shot of rock and roll adrenaline at a time when we need it most”) and MONOLITH COCKTAIL (“this album was born to be played on the radio”) testify to the fact that BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE remains an uplifting gem overlooked in the tumult of dark times, and one ripe for rediscovery. The riff-driven, radio-ready “Left In The Summer,” which kicks off the new single, hints at the heavy, melodic would-be hits that comprise the collection.