The appeal of genuine, high-quality American song craft has apparently fallen by the wayside in recent years, much to the chagrin of young midwestern songwriter, Archie Powell. An emphasis has instead been placed upon ironic chic, chintzy underground appeal or some forced desire to innovate upon an art form that may have reached its limits of expansion and deconstruction. He can’t help but feel a little out of sorts with the whole situation.

“I’m just not particularly concerned with any of that. I am of the belief that what people really enjoy, what really stands the test of time, are well-written songs that folks can remember two minutes after the damn thing ends and your lunch break is over.”The aforementioned message was made abundantly clear with the release of the band’s first effort, the Loose Change EP: an internet-only gratis download that instantly expanded their audience to a national level. This initial warning shot garnered much critical praise with writers favorably plugging their gritty pop aesthetic and relatable sardonic lyricism. Building upon the acclaim of their EP, Archie Powell & The Exports continue to fight the good fight for all that is great in the world of rock and roll: clever, memorable tunes that dig deep in your brain and move in to stay (with or without your permission). Care to inquire about those credentials? Skip Work, their debut full length, is evidence enough. The material bears many faces with raucous garage rock, pop sensations and slow burners abound. All of which are held together by a pervasive sense of dark humor and twentysomething restlessness.

www.archiepowellandtheexports.com