Radio Days “Off the Record”
Radio Days are back, and the sound is back to solid power pop. “I Won’t Give Up” has all the hallmarks of a great power pop single, with sharp riffs, handclaps, and harmonies driving the song forward. That approach carries throughout the album, delivering short, punchy songs with plenty of energy.
“One Heart One Love” and “Another Lonely Night” keep things moving with songs under three minutes, but the consistency starts to work against the band as several tracks begin to blur together. Most songs stick to boy-loves-girl cliches but on “Keep Me Straight” it’s about staying sober. “Driving Through the Night” and “I’ve Got a Song” also stand out more with their minor chord shifts and strong hooks.
It’s difficult to review an album where everything is done “right,” yet it leaves so little of an impression. Radio Days are a bit like cotton candy here, lots of sweet fluff that goes down easily, but once the album is over, I honestly couldn’t remember a melody. The band clearly knows the power pop formula, but this time around they follow it so closely that the songs rarely develop their own identity. Still, this is a good album that most power pop fans will enjoy.
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Tim and The Turmoil “Bring the Friction”
“Shockwave” opens with heavy chords and plenty of gravitas, delivering solid rock in the vein of Deep Purple or Pearl Jam. “More Time” pulls things back for a simpler mid-tempo rocker about the passing of a friend before the minor-key crunch of “The Warnings” kicks things back up. Lead singer Tim Wilkins has a crisp vocal style that works well here, and the hooks are solid.
“The Warnings” is one of the album’s stronger tracks, sounding almost like a metal song translated into plain English, with the lyrics pushed clearly to the front. “Gettin Through” takes a biographical look at the band, built around the basic formula of “2 guitars, bass and drums.” Other worthwhile tracks include “Write You A Letter” and “Open Road.” There’s nothing wrong with any of this, but there’s also little here to challenge the listener or break new ground. The playing is competent, the songwriting is solid, and the production is clean, but much of the album feels predictable and lacks any urgency. Fans of alt rock akin to comfort food will enjoy a serving.