The Big Takeover, April 2018
Blank Pages, Before Your Summer Fades (FDR)
By Jack Rabid
Singer/guitarist/songwriter Greg Potter has been leading Blank Pages for 23 years and four previous LPs, and even parenthood and a seven-year sabbatical couldn’t break a melodic power-pop jones. His trio come out unusually hard, with a deft guitar prowess on the confident and catchy “Take the Stage” (please do!).
At least two chord changes validate self-comparison to Sloan, too. Though like those Canadians, over 12 songs there’re 50-year-old touchstones from the early Who—whose “Substitute” they’ve covered—to The Monkees. Plus, there’re harmonies and licks like later XTC, Material Issue, Fountains of Wayne, and Bye Bye Blackbirds. They get winsome on lighter acoustic numbers; but that guitar-pop heart beats on. (fdrlabel.com)
Tracks Magazine (Switzerland), April 7, 2018
BLANK PAGES – Before Your Summer Fades, FDR (Translation via Google)
By Robert Pally
“Before Your Summer Fades” is only the fifth work of the existing since 1995 band around singer and songwriter Greg Potter. More than seven years have passed since her last album «Absolute Uncertainty» (2010). Apparently, kids and family have slightly shifted the focus. And even the loss of longtime friends, as can be read in the song “So Long, Old Friend”, have led to delays. Greg Potter, based in New Jersey, has always tried to counterbalance the superficial image of power-pop lyrics with his profound lyrics. Also the two closing songs “Writing A New Tale” and “I Have Been Lost” bear witness to this. In one or the other song on «Before Your Summer Fades» the mood is sometimes thoughtful, for example in «Make Up Your Mind». Said song also reveals vocal bonds to Andy Partridge (XTC), which was also on earlier albums so. His keen sense of fine vocal harmony and cool songs has been preserved by Greg Potter. Recommended and worth listening to are “Take The Stage” (with a live feeling), the pounding power pop of “She’s Got The Knack”, the refreshing “Red Eye Love”, the folk-poppy “So Long, Old Friend”, ” That’s Too Bad »and the sometimes Progressive Rock inspired power pop number “I Have Been Lost.”
Pop Geek Heaven, Bloody Red Baron Reviews
BLANK PAGES: Before Your Summer Fades (FDRLABEL.COM)
Blank Pages, not to be confused with the Christian band of the same name, is a trio out of Southern New Jersey that shares a similar melodic esthetic with John San Juan and his band the Hushdrops. They have an instantly identifiable sound, a little cool, a little angular, irresistible. Greg Potter writes the songs, sings in a blue collar voice. Not Bob Seger low and mighty, but a regular guy on the assembly line who astonishes, as in “Greg! I didn’t know you could sing!” “Take the Stage” is superior song craft and a great introduction to their cool yet hot, angular and propulsive sound, punctuated by Potter’s ferocious guitar. Dig those power chords on “She’s Got the Knack,” and the solo on “It Is What It Is,” which takes off like an air raid siren. That song should be Judge Judy’s theme, not Beethoven’s Fifth. “Lost and Found” draws blood from the Byrds and Nashville, with its country twang, and runs right into “That’s Too Bad.” One of the bets power pop releases of the year.
Four and a half stars.
Powerpopaholic, February 8, 2018
The Blank Pages “Before Your Summer Fades”
New Jersey native Greg Potter and bandmates have been making great music for over 25 years. It’s the perspective of middle age that drives the lyric here, “Take The Stage” shows both eager enthusiasm and the trepidation that a band on the stage won’t be playing forever, so leave your mark. “She’s Got The Knack” is a great song with the bouncing melody, with some wonderful guitar work on the edges of the chorus. Blank Pages’ sound is a unique blend of old school (Big Star) and modern pop (Sloan) highlighted by clean harmonies and sharp guitars.
Potter’s self-doubts are put to music on “It Is What It Is” and “Make Up Your Mind.” The jangling guitars are prominent on “High Flyer,” but a lyrical narrative takes a while to reach the chorus. Other themes are about losing friends, lovers, and memories to father time. “That’s Too Bad” has a great Andy Partridge vibe to it. Not everything resonates but most of it does, making it one of The Blank Pages best efforts. Highly Recommended. 8
Shoreworld, December 20, 2017
Blank Pages – Before Your Summer Fades
By John Pfeiffer,
From somewhere amid the suburban sprawl of southern New Jersey comes Blank Pages’ brand of indie pop. Led by guitarist, singer, and songwriter Greg Potter, the band has been creating their unique brand of rock ‘n’ roll for more than 20 years. It’s a familiar story. Hearing a Beatles record for the first time at age five fueled Potter’s obsession with melodic rock music. He took up the guitar, started writing songs, and recorded so many demos on his four-track cassette machine that the heads wore out. Potter formed Blank Pages in college to focus on his evolving melodic, guitar-driven power pop.
His influences expanded to include cult classics (Big Star), new wave (Elvis Costello), and modern power pop purveyors (Sloan and Jason Falkner). Blank Pages has been recording and performing Potter’s original music since 1995.
The band has released five full-length albums on the FDR Label and has appeared on several of the label’s successful themed compilations, including Who’s Not Forgotten, FDR’s Tribute to the Who, Left of the Dial, A Pop Tribute to the Replacements and About a Girl. The current lineup features Potter, Ed McCaffrey on drums, and Jason Brown on bass and guitar. Potter’s childhood friend Jon Mollenhauer has contributed lead guitar to many of the band’s releases.
Past members include founding member and bassist Wayne Philipp, as well as drummers Joel Marsh and Tom Vesneski. Their latest record, Before Your Summer Fades, is set for release on the FDR Label on Jan. 19, 2017.
The FDR label is a small New Jersey indie label with a big power-pop heart. Formed in 1996, FDR Label is known for wildly popular tribute CDs based on The Replacements, The Who, and the ‘80s movie tribute, High School Reunion. Releases have featured the ever popular Guided by Voices, Frank Black, Mathew Sweet, Pat DiNizio, Bo Diddley, The Bigger Lovers, Bastards of Melody, The Successful Failures, The Dipsomaniacs, Taggart and many others. Mick Chorba, a name that has graced these pages several times in the past few years, runs the ship with help from an excellent staff and they have done an excellent job with label duties to date. Chorba, of course, also man’s the helm in The Successful Failures, a New Jersey based group that has garnered much praise both here and in other publications.
Blank Pages are no strangers to the stage or studio, as mentioned above they have released several studio records as well as playing most of the areas more popular clubs and stages. The new album, Before Your Summer Fades, is described as “an acute pairing of lyrics that sound the alarm on subjects such as uncertainty, loss, and inevitable change with his signature melodic sounds.” His webpage calls it a “unique blend of old school and modern pop that is distinctly Blank Pages.” This record comes after a seven-year hiatus marked by the arrival of children and the loss of old friends.
So, let’s take a deep, Shoreworld dive into the world of Greg Potter and Blank Pages, and see what Before Your Summer Fades is truly all about.
The first song up is called “Take the Stage.” Potter kicks things off with The Records pop sensibility and style. Guitars mesh with bass and drums as Potter lays down his signature vocal sound. Melodically speaking, “Take the Stage” is filled with chimey six-string work and intricate harmony vocal work. Hand claps lay into the mix as Potter applies intricate chord patterns and solid rhythm patterns to his piece. The tone is solid 1980s pop, and the lyrical theme tells the story of life on the stage. I love the changes in the chorus as chords turn far left from the verse and second part of the chorus. If you dig bands such as The Records or Joe Jackson, you’re gonna love “Take the Stage.”
“She’s Got the Knack” is up next. Blank Pages runs with their stylistic theme here as well. Reminding me of groups such as Jason and the Scorchers and The Beatles, “She’s Got the Knack” is a cornucopia of pop sensibilities and expert songwriting skill. Once again, Potter and crew overflow with melodic harmonies and chord knowledge. Lyrically speaking, Potter lays out his skillful viewpoint of mixing the love of a girl with his point of compositional know-how. Bass, drums, and guitar all mix amicably as Potter’s vocal focal point bring it all together with style. Jangly guitars mix with cool riffs and single line lead breaks throughout this piece. Percussive highlights also bring life to the piece as drums support guitars and bass with pure Knack style.
Moving around the disc, I come to a song called “Make Up Your Mind.” Blending the styles of The Monkees with The Beatles and The Byrds, “Make Up Your Mind” blends tasty guitar work with solid drums and fluid bass work. Potter’s vocal style is once again a focal point here, and he lays out his message with flair and expertise that is unmatchable. Harmonies are superb and are the icing on a very delicious cake. Potter is an expert at choruses, and this one is no exception. Memorable for days, “Make Up Your Mind” stays in your head long after you turn off the player.
“So Long Old friend” is an ode to the loss of someone close. Potter has so much emotive skill in his vocal that it’s hard to ignore the message in his lyrics. Acoustic guitars mix with bass, drums, and electrics as Potter lays it all out. This song is yet another that reminds me of The Beatles or even Wings. Potter steers his ship with skill and genuine passion as he slides into his choruses. Another song that stays with you long after it ends, “So Long Old Friend” is a top-notch piece that should find success within the Blank Pages fanbase and beyond.
Another great song is “Writing a New Tale.” Drums kick things off with hanging bass licks and guitar before Potter joins the vocal fray. “Writing a New Tale” is another song that reminds me of the great groups of the 1980s. This tune has hints of early Godfathers, REM, and Husker Du. Potter’s guitar prowess is entirely evident here as he blends fascinating chord arrangements with riffs and intricate lead guitar work. Potter’s vocal attack demonstrates original style with an understanding of real delivery with his thematic lyrical style. His vocals have a unique tone, and fell as he digs into his story. Lead guitar blows its breath into the middle-eight like nobody’s business. Potter mixes clean, chimey rhythms with slightly distorted lead break very much like the late James Honeyman-Scott from the Pretenders. Just enough grit to keep things rocking but with an air of melodic interpretation that keeps the song humming and steeped in their very own style.
Blank Pages have done well with Before Your Summer Fades and I can’t wait to see them play some of this material live. There is a total of 12 mesmerizing songs on this record, and even though I didn’t have time to cover each one, I can say that the album is entirely both impressive and compositionally sound. If you get a chance, please go over to the band’s page and buy this latest FDR record as I know you’re going to love it. For more information on Before Your Summer Fades and Blank Pages, head over to gregpotterrocks.com.