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Review: D.S. Bradford – Elemental Evolution
If you’re in the Philadelphia area, catch D.S. Bradford’s “Elemental Evolution” EP release show this Friday, Aug. 5 at the Dockside Bar at Dave & Buster’s.
Artist: D.S. Bradford
Album: Elemental Evolution EP (PRE-ORDER)
Release Date: Aug. 5, 2016
Genre: Alternative Rock
Philadelphia singer-songwriter D.S. Bradford describes his new “Elemental Evolution” EP as being “about evolving into a form of ourselves that is conscious of peace and embraces love.”
While that theme is ever present throughout the effort, there is another “evolution” at play – that of D.S. Bradford into a versatile musician who seamlessly intermingles alternative rock with the progressive and psychedelic.
Perhaps the track that best blends all of those styles together is the album closer, “A Call to the Stars II – A Home in the Sky.” The EP’s longest track, clocking in at just over seven minutes, is a dreamy epic that moves between ideas that represent themselves as movements. “A Call to the Stars II” temporarily forfeits its dreaminess about halfway through, picking up the pace with some killer guitar work, before returning to its roots and transitioning into a tender piano outro that brings about the conclusion of our galactic transmission.
For fans of straightforward alt-rock, you need look no further than “Oceans,” a fun, up-tempo tune, and the crisp, highly accessible title track, “Elemental Evolution.” Both songs contain great hooks and are radio-ready.
Track listing:
A Call to the Stars – Ascend the Lost
The Rise
Oceans
The Seasons
Elemental Evolution
The Move
A Call to the Stars II – A Home in the Sky
Review: Shawn Cav Ensemble – Glass Houses
Artist: Shawn Cav Ensemble
Album: Glass Houses (Pre-order)
Release Date: Jul. 30, 2016
Genre: Jazz Fusion
On July 30, break out your good headphones and listen to everything happening on Shawn Cav Ensemble’s “Glass Houses.” The eclectic Easton quartet showcases its musicianship and improvisational abilities to speak volumes without saying a word.
The band displays its ability to move between ideas – and even genres – on the new release. A perfect example is opening track, “Four Years in a Box,” which is underscored by groovy rhythms and a tradeoff between Steve Collins’ guitar and Matt Truscott’s tenor sax that walks a tightrope between jazz and rock.
Another highlight is “Faces,” a funk-fueled track with a hooky bass line where Collins and Truscott both take turns speaking lyrically through their instruments. In contrast, title track “Glass Houses” is mellow in a way that ties the effort together, revolving around Shawn Cav’s bass to build a climax and achieve the EP’s resolution.
Track listing
Four Years in a Box
New Beginnings
Faces
Roll Call
Looking Busy
Glass Houses
Review: Sunsets North – out_of_CTRL
Artist: Sunsets North
Album: out_of_CTRL
Release Date: July 25, 2016
Genre: Pop/Rock/Hard Rock
The guys from Sunsets North have mastered the ability to write catchy songs with pop hooks, while creating a rich, unique musical landscape on each individual track. Such is the case on the band’s upcoming EP, out_of_CTRL.
An underlying pop pulse is present throughout the Allentown-based four-piece’s latest offering, but the way Sunsets North expands upon those sensibilities is what makes “out_of_CTRL” so exciting. Album opener “Can’t Relax” is equal parts poppy and powerful, with an opening industrial vibe whose pulsing beat leads into hard-hitting guitar and vocal melodies from frontman Warren North and axe man Trevor Vaughan. Meanwhile, the title track offers a contrast, with more of a dance pop vibe and carefree, “ready-to-party” lyrics.
“Summer Love,” a tender rock tune, delivers an urgency to accompany its lyrics about making a fleeting, young romance last just a bit longer. Love seems to be turning sour by the next track, “Falling,” which features a heavy instrumental amid North’s desperation to keep a dying relationship afloat. Bright sounds return on album closer, “L.A.S.,” which creeps slightly into pop punk territory to bring the EP to a resolution.
Review: The Mad Sugars – Amateur Hour EP
Artist: The Mad Sugars
Release: Amateur Hour EP (LISTEN)
Genre: Rock and/or Roll
Release Date: Jun. 23, 2015
When we last left The Mad Sugars, they had just come out with a three-track EP appropriately titled “Just a Taste.” Indeed, it was just a taste of what Adam Gruss and company would find themselves capable. Their latest effort, the “Amateur Hour EP,” signals a sonic evolution for the New York-based dance rock outfit.
Opening with the hooky “Matchmaker,” and featuring enhanced versions of “Just a Taste” holdovers “Just Keep Dancing” and “How She Likes It,” the record’s sound is fuller and more complex than its predecessor. Backing vocalists Sarah Golden and Anna Ritter – featured for quite some time during live performances – make their recording debut and find themselves providing well-balanced support for Gruss, who seems to have found a confident voice as a singer and lyricist on this six-track offering.
It’s fair to note that, even through the travails of nightlife that recur in Gruss’ lyrics, this record is meant to get you dancing. Even “The More You Spill,” surely the EP’s most overtly dark track, has a Franz Ferdinand-esque beat and bass groove that will get the staunchest of wallflowers nodding along. The track also features some stellar guitar work from longtime Gruss collaborator Dan Callas, which is hazy in all the right ways as it tells the tale of a night gone awry.
All in all, The Mad Sugars have a fun, mostly tongue-in-cheek record that pushes them beyond “Amateur Hour” and into the big leagues. Bring your dancing shoes and sense of humor, and you’ll find yourself going back for “Another,” again and again.
Track listing:
1. Matchmaker
2. Queen of the Club
3. Just Keep Dancing
4. Another
5. The More You Spill
6. How She Likes It