Albums

Album Review: Drive A

[Album: Drive A]
[Label: Unsigned]

Drive A’s promo package is hurting my eyes, it’s that glossy. It’s an A4 gatefold that contains three colour photos, a DVD, a three-track single and an 11-track self-titled album. There’s also positive quotes from rock luminaries such as Tommy Lee, Don Henley and Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom). No, seriously. This must have cost a packet to produce but I see no backer and there’s not a record label to be seen; these teenagers, for they are still teenagers (with an average age of 16), must have family with pockets deeper than the Mariana Trench.

The 2-minute long introductory DVD bristles with snappy camera work, flicking from still shots to clips of the band in repose, in practice and leaping across the stage. There’s mini-interviews with the band members with one asked what his goals are for the band. “We’re gonna rule the world!” he confidently replies. The accompanying single is fairly redundant as it’s just three of their demo tracks, but the long-player requires more of a detailed perusal.

Well, I’m impressed. The Los Angeles quartet are certainly attempting to grab rock n’ roll by the balls and give them a good tug. Opener ’Thrown Away’ has a huge drum-roll opening leading into an absolutely killer guitar riff. Even the treble-heavy vocals don’t sound to bad on this one - sure, they have that element of bratty teenage strop about them but here they are backed up (it sounds as if the same vocal may have been doubled-up to add strength) and it’s pretty feisty stuff. Short and sweet too which means it doesn’t waste any of its explosive energy on unnecessary repetition.

With the construction of much that follows leaving the vocal laid bare, at least until the chorus, there isn’t that same impact with a big step-up in annoying whine (’Broken Bones‘, in particular, suffers badly). The musicianship is still bloody impressive - the drums pump away with robotic precision with hi-hat, cymbal crashes and snare-bashing all big in the mix (particularly on ‘Hopeless Ways‘), then the bass throbs away to form a comforting sub-strata (superbly effective on ‘Quit Bitchin‘), and the guitars find riffs and leads almost constantly to dominate each track with utter disdain.

However, there is no getting away from the fact that this music, at it’s core, is derivative of the big-haired American rock acts of the 80s/90s. Add 10 years of drinking and smoking to that vocal and you‘ve got Skid Row, Poison, Mötley Crüe, et al. Frontman Bruno Mascolo admits in their press release “I’d hear my parents talking about bands, or I’d watch TV and they would say something about Guns N’ Roses or AC/DC and eventually I’d look them up on the internet. What I found was really cool and I liked those bands a lot more than mainstream pop-rock”. Well, I’m not sure you can call GN’R or AC/DC alternative!

The result is rock n‘ roll by numbers - the elongated whining, the solos, the macho lyrics and the pained delivery during the inevitable ballads. Still, it’s one impressive initial offering from a teenage group with an enormous amount of talent. As for generating a following anywhere other than the U.S., it seems unlikely without a change of direction, but this is still a fine place to start off. There is certainly a danger, however, that they may end up as a novelty boy band with more time spent doing photoshoots than in the studio.

The band are about to set out on a series of gigs around the U.S. once they’ve finished tearing up the Vans Warped Tour. For a full rundown of their schedule you can check either their MySpace or the band’s Official Website where you can download the full album for free.

For Fans Of: Mötley Crüe, Skid Row, boy bands

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Drive A

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You can download the whole album (legally) from their own website here.

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