The 1981 - Move On (2023) Hi-Res

Dandy Boy Records, the label releases some of the finest bands in indie pop and power pop. Just type in Dandy Boy in the search bar of our site and you’ll find some of our personal favorites. It’s one thing the label’s head honcho Bobby Martinez has a talent for scouting, organizing and bringing excellent music out of the underground into the airwaves, it’s another to selfcreate music that is worth an audience. And yet, that’s another trick up his sleeve. Martinez previously did exactly that with Circuits and currently plays in The 1981 with his Circuits buddy Adam Widener, another scene veteran who you may know by his solo stuff or his work with Plexi 3, The Jet Set, Pure Material and The Zygoteens.

Today, the duo release their debut LP Move On, which follows several singles and EPs. In fact, the LP includes several songs that were flying around in past years like the particularly fine Mona Lisa and Nelson’s Camera. Those two songs alone tell you that this is not a vanity project, but a project of skill, labor and love. Move On is a pleasant and warm record with a nice ebb and flow to it. While it can be enjoyed on a song-by-song basis, it offers an extra layer of telling the (fictional)story of a relationship falling apart – a theme that has always been fuel for memorable power pop records. There definitely are melancholy undertones simmering, and listening to the record invites your mind to wander, making Move On a perfect record for your next commute or aimless beach stroll at sunset.