Bay Area-based singer-songwriter Andy Pastalaniec’s Chime School project follows up his 2021 self-titled debut with ‘The Boy Who Ran the Paisley Hotel’, an album that examines the sadness of gentrification and the much-missed bars and theatres that were lost in its wake…

There are elements of The Pastels and Orange Juice in the opening sadpop of ‘The End’. With sugar-sweet sprinklings of guitar throughout, Andy sings ‘I hope it’s not too late’ with raw emotion. ‘Why Don’t You Come Out Tonight’ opens with the title and you’ll want to join him, but then there’s a jolt in direction as he pleads ‘I don’t want to drag you into someone else’s arms’.

There’s more lovelorn losses on ‘Give Your Heart Away’ as Andy asks if the girl with the ‘vacant stare’ is going anywhere, while the dreamy ‘Another Way Home’ is reminiscent of The Lemon Twigs’ brand of zesty power pop as Andy tells the story of a girl who ‘waited for a plane to take her away’ and is now ‘looking for another way home, another way back to you’.

‘Wandering Song’ has a grungey undercurrent running throughout and ‘Desperate Days’ looks at the state of Andy’s hometown while trying to remain positive about the future: ‘Streets and houses painted grey, because that’s what the markets say. In a couple of years they’ll be washed away’. This is followed by memories of missed cultural landmarks and an instruction to ‘Gather your old friends’.

‘Negative Monday’ is instantly hummable with melodies reminiscent of fellow Bay Area troubadour The Reds, Pinks & Purples and some gorgeous vocal interplay while ‘Points of Light’ combines a jaunty bass line with dollops of feedback and a warning that ‘Said you’re going away, ’till tomorrow follows you some day’.

Ring the bells and sign yourself up to Chime School. You won’t regret your stay at the Paisley Hotel.

TOUR DATES

Aug 23 – San Francisco, CA – Record Release show! at The Makeout Room w/ Hits, Telephone Numbers
Aug 24 – Los Angeles, CA – Permanent Records Roadhouse w/ Le Pain, Nic Hessler, Telephone Numbers
Aug 25 – Carlsbad, CA – GONZO! Ramen w/ Telephone Numbers
Sept 27 – Paris Pop Fest, France w/ The Orchids, Would-be-Goods, Les Freluquets
Sept 28 – Cambridge, at NCI Centre
Sept 29 – London, at The Victoria
Sept 30 – Nottingham, at JT Soar
Oct 1 – York, at The Fulford Arms
Oct 2 – Manchester, at Gullivers w/ Autocamper
Oct 3 – Glasgow, at Mono w/ US Highball, The Cords
Oct 4 – Halifax, at The Grayston Unity
Oct 5 – Liverpool, at District
Oct 6 – Coventry, at Just Dropped in Records w/ Lande Hekt
Oct 7 – Bristol, at The Cube w/ Lande Hekt, Silk Cuts