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BANDS: Punk
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Driver X: Super 12
Driver X play the kind of music that could be easily
criticized for being too commercial in an atmosphere like the present,
where every rock song you hear on commercial radio sounds like the one before it
and the one after it. Despite
comparisons to the Replacements and David Bowie, Driver Xs songs would have
best fit in the commercial rock radio format of the mid 90s, just as the
lines separating alternative rock and pop began to blur.
With production that is just a little too clean for its own good and a
sound that is a little thick and overdone, Super 12 is a debut album that
shows Driver X trying a little too hard to make a first impression.
But thats not to say that this album does not have some nice moments
that could be pretty engaging in a less-overdone or a live setting. The bands press kit states that fans of everything from
the Beatles to Pavement to Radiohead will eat these guys up like chocolate
cake. I cant really agree
with this I dont think diehard fans of any of those greats (all of whom
bring to mind the words experimentation and innovation) will be Driver Xs
biggest fans. Instead, Super 12
is filled with feel-good, almost anthemic tunes that are quite accessible to the
indiscriminate listener. And
despite coming from Brooklyn, the bands sound is somehow rootsier than any of
the aforementioned bands, as shown in tracks like Wanderlust and I Want
You. On Carry Me Home the band shows how their song-writing
talents, harmonizing vocals, and overall delivery all suffice to make a very
nice song but the tune ends up missing the personal touch that could have
made it great if it were stripped down to a couple of acoustic guitars in a live
setting, and if it were minus the unnecessary instrumentation and
over-production. On Lazy Eye,
I found myself wishing the band had decided to push the vocals farther back into
the mix. Maybe Ive been
listening to too much indie rock, but this songs mysterious sound would have
benefited from burying the vocals just a bit like they were slightly more
successful in doing with Afraid to Fly. Overall, Super 12 is not a bad debut.
It showcases the song-writing potential of Driver X, but the album does
not live up to some of the hype that seems to have surrounded it.
There may not be any Radiohead-like experimentation or Pavement-like
innovation here, but there are some nice songs that could sound even nicer in a
live setting.
You can purchase this album from Insound, Amazon, and CD Universe LEFT OFF THE DIAL's Driver X page About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home All content © LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved. |
