What happens when your heroes stop making records? For Propeller, the answer was simple: start making music that pays homage to the who’s who of power pop songsmiths: Chilton and Bell. Blake, McGinley and Love. Westerberg. Mould. But a funny thing happened over the course of four albums. Propeller became its own thing. Riff by riff, singer-songwriters-musicians Greg Randall and Will Anderson carved out their own space in the pantheon of left-of-the-dial rock. It’s a space still recognizable to anyone who feels a thrill as a distorted guitar brushes up against a harmony filled chorus while pounding drums ferry you from hook to hook. Of course, sonic touchstones are a crucial conduit of the power-pop experience, but the only thing that really matters are songs. And on Don’t Ever Let This Let You Down, Propeller adds shiny new candidates for your top down road trip playlist. - Chaco Daniel