Rating:
So by a show of hands, who thinks Go Radio has had a great 2010 – 2011 year thus far? I mean come on, these guys have worked so hard to get to where they are now. Back in the beginning of 2010 they came out with Do Overs and Second Chances, which made it to 178 on the Billboard 200, have basically been touring since then (such as first doing Toursick, opening for A Day to Remember, Reach for the Sun Tour, and my personal favorite, Fearless Friends Tour), and went right into Lucky Street, releasing on March 1st of this year. And so far, this album definitely isn’t doing half bad. According to the charts, Lucky Street is currently at number 77 on Billboard 200, and number 10 on Billboards Top Independent Albums. Let’s give them a round of applause, shall we?
So far in the past year, I’ve seen these guys twice. The first time was up in Hartford during the Fearless Friends Tour back in October, and the 2nd was while they were on the On Your Side Tour only a few weeks ago when they opened up for A Rocket to the Moon. Both times, I was blown away with the talent they have. I had never listened to a single song by them before October (yes, guilty.) and hadn’t bought their new album up until a few days ago (mhmm, guilty again). Lancaster’s got one hell of a voice, and the band itself has great stage presence. May I add that as well as really enjoying their sets both times, I had the pleasure of meeting Lancaster both times. What a good guy, seriously.
So even though this album is well over a month old now, I thought it was only deemed appropriate to write a review for them. Like any other album that I’ve ever reviewed, I’ve basically been listening to it nonstop since I got it. Now granted, without naming names, some albums I listen to once or twice (or however long it takes me to get the feel for it) and then I’m done. For me, those kinds of albums just can’t be listened to over and over for me. It’s just a preference of sounds. On the flip side, some albums I get through and I literally have to listen to it again. Lucky Street falls under this category.
For me, Go Radio has had this underlying ability to keep their sound so level. Being able to really enjoy listening to a certain band over and over is a rare trait. Bands usually change their sound as their fame level goes up, we all know that. But Go Radio, despite only being around for a few years, hasn’t really changed their sound at all.
Let’s start right at the beginning. The opening track “Lucky Street” is clearly a perfect opening to the album. I love the sirens in the beginning; fits really well with the general feel of the first track. Personally, this song reminds me a lot of the song “Better Be Prepared” by Valencia, which is a total good thing, considering that Valencia is one of my favorite bands. I think they both might be in the same key… but yes, anyways, great intro to the album, love it. Texture-wise, I love “Hold On”, the guitar intro lick (and the entire guitar part) is very, very cool. Lyrically, this song is amazing too, as well as “Forever My Father”, the following track. Speaking of which, the second time around of recording of “Forever My Father” is 10x better than the first. I love the accompanying voices of Erin and Daniel Lancaster. Erin’s voice reminds me a lot of Sierra Kusterbeck’s voice of VersaEmerge. When it comes to my favorite track on the album, it definitely has to be “Any Other Heart”, hands down. It’s the one track on the album that I’ve listened to the most, and quite frankly, Lancaster’s voice stole me on this song. In second place is definitely “Lucky Street”. All fourteen tracks on this album flow very well with one another, keeping pace, too.
I seriously cannot wait until I see these guys again on Warped Tour. It’ll be my third (and definitely not final) time seeing them. Maybe I’ll even get another picture with Jason. That’ll also be my third time around, too. If you guys get a chance, go see them if you haven’t already before Warped! They’re currently on tour with Sparks To The Rescue, This Century, and Select Start until May 28th. They put on a great show, and are just as good live as they are on the album. They definitely deserve your ears.
And if you haven’t already done so, go get the album! It’s available on iTunes, Amazon, all that good stuff. And on their personal site too, with even a vinyl record option if you’re really a die-hard fan. Until next time!
