

The Wrong Words are an Oakland power trio specializing in '70s-flavored power pop. Their 2011 eponymous debut doesn’t pull from more obvious influences like Big Star or The Flamin’ Groovies, but rather more obscure '70s acts that only gained wider audiences with 21st-century reissues. The band’s catchy opening song, “Tonight, Tomorrow,” finds singer/guitarist Josh Miller (who has played with Bart Davenport, Willow Willow, and Farmer Dave Scher, among others) singing similarly to Howard Bowler from the underground NYC band The Marbles. “Lie Detector” unleashes more bursts of perfect guitar pop, with drummer Layla Cooper navigating the tune around vacuum-tight changes and stop-start arrangements. “Wrong Again” sounds more rooted in the late-'60s pop sensibilities of The Turtles, with a more aggressive attack akin to unsung '70s power pop bands like The Toms or The Nerves. Songs like “Summer’s Gone” and “Cross the Line” beg to be blasted from big wooden speakers.