As much as I like to be up on the latest power pop releases, a few always manage to slip through the cracks. Back in early 2005, I bought an EP titled 400 Miles by an artist named Duff, and enjoyed it. But I never heard about Duff again, and chalked it up to a case of another one-and-done artist. Well it turns out that the Duff of 400 Miles is actually Californian Duff Ferguson, and he released Good Things in mid-December of last year, which only came to my attention in recent weeks.
Good Things is certainly an appropriate title, and it's a quality disc of California pop on which Ferguson is helped out by a couple of favorites around these parts, Todd Herfindal of The Meadows (who has his own solo album about to come out) and Rich McCulley who co-produce. The bright sound and swelling choruses of the title track and "We Will Escape" let you know all you need to know of Good Things' sound. The Meadows is an obvious reference point, and there's also a hint of the recent Mikal Blue disc in there as well. "The Things That Lovers Do" rocks a bit harder, but not too hard - much in the vein of The Jayhawks on Smile, while "One Day at a Time" recalls Del Amitri. "Make It Right" is another pop gem, and "Never Enough" shows that Ferguson has a way with the slower numbers as well. And Jeff Larson is probably somewhere out there wondering how he never wrote "Forever California". As the British would say, there isn't a duff track on this disc, so get off yours and give this one a listen.
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