In the Light is a new album from Radio Drive, an alternative pop band largely driven by artist and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Gullickson. Right off the bat, the album leaves a good impression as it opens with some great vintage guitar tones, plenty of warm distortion and crunch, reminiscent of classic rock groups like Badfinger. In the vocals department, we get more of a 90’s alternative vibe as Gullickson sings melodically and manages to hit some pretty high notes, though even there one can detect shades of classic influences such as Led Zeppelin or perhaps Queen. With a lot of “alternative” style music the artist can get away with subpar singing being part of the aesthetic, but this guy really is a terrific singer. If I had to describe his voice I’d say it reminds me bit of Neil Tennant, the vocalist for the Pet Shop Boys.
While the opening jam First Time has a straightforward rock’n’roll structure, other songs on the album like One Life To Give and Take Hold incorporate extensive usage of keyboards, almost drifting into 80s synthpop territory. There’s an impressive level of musical versatility on display here. Songs dynamically change, and yet everything sounds pristine and professional. There’s some potentially award winning music here. If the music industry cared about quality, this is the kind of music we would be hearing on the radio.
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