ALL IN THE FAMILY | Posted September 29, 2008
Even though the members of Remedy Drive all have a natural chemistry with one another given their bonds of literal brotherhood, David, Paul, Phillip and Daniel Zach were performing over 200 shows a year in and around Lincoln, Neb., long before scoring a record deal. And due to a bigger budget and additional contacts, the guys have now taken their progressive alternative rock ruminations to an even higher level, thanks in part to all-star (or even more accurately, All Star United) producer Ian Eskelin (Krystal Meyers, Stellar Kart).
“Daylight” marks one of the disc’s earliest strengths, with atmospheric electronics cleverly winding around charging guitars and David’s rough-neck/falsetto vocal trade-offs. “What Happens (At the End”) boasts particularly potent melodies and unpredictable piano arrangements that ramp up only to stop suddenly, while “Get To Know You” is shimmering synth-pop at its textbook peak. The ebb and flow between soft ethereal touches and several power surges mirror insightful mainstream acts like Muse or The Bravery, but never at the expense of the secular copy cat syndrome.
Remedy Drive also excels lyrically with “Valuable,” boldly assessing Christ’s blood shed for our salvation and “Belong With You,” addressing the difference between happiness and true joy. That latter theme also intersects with someone wanting to consume worldly wealth throughout “All Along,” though they eventually reach a resolution that only holiness can fill the void. In fact, Daylight Is Coming is so provocative on all planes that listeners will spend much less time reasoning why Remedy Drive is so tight and simply rejoice over the end result. –Andy Argyrakis
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from CMCentral.com. Click here to visit CMCentral.com today!
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September 23, 2008, 12:25PM
Great review of a great debut album! I think they are just original enough to be considered one of the top releases of 2008 and this album grows on me. |
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