ATP! Album Review: Go Radio – Close The Distance

Tallahassee-based rockers Go Radio may have only just completed their second record, but their influence has gone from strength to strength. Their dedication to their fans (a thoughtful response to the dedication shown to them by those fans) made clear through a recent piano key giveaway and their dedication to letting their fans know every bit of progress through their blog. It seems like the only way to go is up for the band, but does their new album follow suit?

From the first track ‘I Won’t Lie’ it’s clear that Go Radio's music is going somewhere similarly special with "Close The Distance"; the pop elements of their sound such as vocal style and piano riffs meld nicely with the rock backdrop to create an anthemic opener that makes the most of the sort of gang vocals flaunted in Kings Of Leon’s ‘Use Somebody’.

The main element that evolves their pop sensibilities is the aggression and power in Jason Lancaster’s (ex-Mayday Parade) vocals, which exude the same emotional growl that frontmen like Dave Grohl are acclaimed for.

The guitars work this way as well, with the pop/rock contention perfectly represented by the piano/guitar duality. The two seemingly opposing styles and flavors of melody bounce off one another in a way that wouldn’t be possible if they stuck to the same patterns. In this case, the almost-opposites attract a lot of attention. For a great example of this listen to ‘Lost And Found’ - a song that’s also about as catchy and gruff as they come for Go Radio.

Somewhat ironically, the ambient ‘The Ending’ is the third-to-last track, but regardless of displaced title the song represents the variety of musical styles Go Radio is willing to stretch their shape into. Despite having the distinctive sound of the band, everything that revolves around "Close The Distance" is molded into a sculpture that says so much more about the talent contained within Go Radio - something that it’s hard not to take away from this album, which, when looked at as a whole, is a damn impressive addition to the band’s building legacy and another big step taken on the ladder towards the name they deserve to make for themselves.

4/5

"Close The Distance" is out on September 18th through Fearless Records.

Edward Strickson