Celebrated mainstays of the California pop-rock scene, PLASTICSOUL haven't been heard from for quite some time… on record, at least. They've been commanding stages as per usual all over their home state and abroad every year since their last full-length album, the widely-acclaimed THERAPY, saw release nearly a decade ago. That record – and that year, 2017 –  were auspicious occasions for both the band and the guitar pop scene worldwide, marking as they did the very first release on Big Stir Records, unknown at the time but now one of the leading indie pop labels anywhere and boasting a roster including cross-generational luminaries like Strawberry Alarm Clock, Graham Parker, The Spongetones, The Greenberry Woods and more. None of it could have happened without PLASTICSOUL leading the way, and nine years later, the band is about to return in a big way with a bigger sound than ever. You have been warned!

Long hailed as a hook-propelled American spin on the history of British rock from The Beatles to the Bunnymen to Oasis, the band has always stood as standard bearers for the hooks-and-harmonies sound. But they've rocked ever harder as they've matured; these days, following on from the powerful pop of THERAPY, they put forth a ferocious near-glam-rock attack that's impossible to resist. Blessed with the powerful voice and sharp-edged tunes of frontman Steven Wilson, the band had already released two warmly-received records with a fluid lineup before coalescing into the lightning-in-a-bottle live-and-recording unit that recorded the breakthrough third album, and which persists to this day: singer-guitarist Wilson backed by drummer Steven Markovitz, bassist Marc Bernal and guitarist Daniel Conrad. 

The years since that album have seen Wilson leave Los Angeles for Northern California, making the continuity of the lineup all that much more remarkable. But what will strike the fans who've missed PLASTICSOUL for the past nine years is the stunning vigor of the performances on the forthcoming album WE CAN HEAR YOU, CLEM FANDANGO (due out in late fall from Big Stir Records). The ever-present strain of glam rock comes to the fore like never before, as is instantly evident on the lead track and first preview single “J'adore,” and there's much more where that came from. Not to say the album is a one-note affair; as always, the band dips into swirling psych, jangly pop and more, while Wilson's lyrical concerns range from primal rock exuberance to wild conspiracy theories, tender romance, and turns of phrase that just sound ineffably rock-and-roll cool. Consider it ten-track expedtion on, as one track title has it, a "Radio Spaceship"… and one you're likely to take again and again. Long live PLASTICSOUL, who make one of the most welcome returns on the pop rock scene this year with a record that's sure to follow their previous efforts onto “Year's Best” lists worldwide, and equally sure to provide new fuel for the band's legendary live sets.