TOPS, 'Perfected Steps'

WYSO | By Evan Miller

Published April 27, 2022 at 9:47 AM EDT

On "Perfected Steps," Montreal's TOPS present a breezy send-off to ideas and customs past their prime, done up with a deceptively light, subtly contemptuous vibe. Vocalist Jane Penny depicts an unnamed showboater clinging to youth, a "burning up beacon" and "dying star" of bygone values set to implode; as the anonymous character shines their fading light to nobody, the reality of obsolescence closes in. Yet they keep at it, totally unaware. Penny's airy vocals and the band's soft-rock jangle gently present a case for moving forward, beckoning us to get with the times no matter what side of the generation line you fall on.

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Evan Miller

Evan Miller is a musician, curator, and radio person based in Yellow Springs. With roots studying percussion at Wright State University and cutting his radio teeth at WWSU, he is currently Assistant Music Director and host of Midday Music and The Outside at 91.3 WYSO and Novaphonic.FM. Outside of radio, you can find Evan regularly playing in several bands in the area, booking/curating shows including The Outside Presents experimental series in Yellow Springs, snooping around area record stores, and spoiling his cat Nova (Novaphonic's animal mascot!).

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