164. GUV III by Young Guv

This just released 2022 record comes to us from Toronto by way of the New Mexico desert. Young Guv is the moniker of Ben Cook who, believe it or not, used to be quite the hardcore rocker before transitioning to his current incarnation as power popper extraordinaire. Being stuck in New Mexico at the beginning of the pandemic paid off for him (and us) - if you're a fan of Big Star, The Byrds and Rickenbackers, then this is the album for you. Those guitars jangle and chime through every hook-laden track. Even better, though, if you like this you have something else to look forward to - a second record's worth of material (GUV IV) supposedly due out later this year. 'Couldn't Leave U If I Tried,' 'Lo Lo Lonely,' 'But I Ain't Got U' and 'Scam Likely' are great tracks to start out with.