Radio Drive are all about the perfect blend of grunt, groove and grace. Yes, I am a big fan of alliteration, but those words are chosen for more than their rhythm and rhyme, it is a phrase that is perfect to describe the sonic forces that main man Kevin Guillickson conjures and controls on this new album. And his own rhythm and rhyme prove to be just as smart, not to mention unpredictable, as the phrase itself.
When he is in foot-on-the-monitor mode, such as with What You Know, he opts to do so in a staccato waltz time and undercut the song with hazy, ethereal interludes. When he does pop, as he does on In The Now, it falls somewhere between New Wave and late-era Beatles. When he opts for anthemics, his Led Zeppelin cover of Thank You turns out to be as deft and delicate as it is big and bountiful. And In My Dreams Tonight is just a slice of understated gorgeousness.
It is in that ability to cross-pollinate and juggle, not just sounds and styles but eras and emotions, cleverness and commerciality, even sonic worlds and musical wisdom, that makes Radio Drive far more than just a pop-rock band. Much, much more.
[…] probably said it before (I’m too lazy to check, it’s been a tough week), but Radio Drive walks a fine line. It is a line that runs between melody, accessibility and pop-awareness on one […]