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Friday, January 30, 2009

Review: Sugar Red Drive - Sugar Red Drive


Sugar Red Drive - Sugar Red Drive
2009, Big Machine Media


Poughkeepsie, New York’s Sugar Red Drive are a neo classic rock band by, of and for musicians. Their latest project, Sugar Red Drive, will be released on CD in early 2009. Combining the melodic and progressive phrasing of the 1970’s with the Modern Rock edge guitar sound that lights up the phone banks at local radio, Sugar Red Drive has hit on a unique mix of classic rock and pop that takes an audience by surprise. You’d better put on your seat belts.

Sugar Red Drive opens with Wicked Sister, a rock anthem buoyed by big hits and even bigger guitar in the vein of Collective Soul's heavier material. Velvet Leash barges in on the opener with as much attitude as the opener. Sugar Red Drive keeps up the intensity on One More Time, sounding like a cross between Soundgarden and Collective Soul. Grace is a decidedly more pop-oriented rocker that has "single" written all over it. This is one of those songs that stick in your head in spite of not being particularly catchy. The chorus is melodic rock candy though, and you won't be able to stop it from playing in your mind.

Millers Child finds Sugar Red Drive stripping things all the way down to the acoustic core, building slowly throughout the song into an acoustic/electric mix that stands in stark contrast to the first few songs on the album. Have no fear; Sugar Red Drive doesn't go mellow-rock after a few rambunctious tunes. The next track, Liar, opens on a guitar progression reminiscent Living Color. Overdrive lives up to its name, exploding out of guitar riff that's as dangerous as it is entertaining. Comin' Down is by far the heaviest action on the album; prepare to be pounded by the wall of guitar and bass ridden by vocalist Archit Tripathi. Comin' Down is probably the best pure rock tune on the album, and is likely to garner some attention from the Modern Rock set. The album closes out with Somebody Else, the big guitar rock epilogue you knew had to be coming.

Sugar Red Drive is an exciting Modern Rock act with sufficient attitude to satisfy their target demographic and enough musical talent to rise above it. Big guitar rock bands are a dime a dozen in the current environment, but every so often one comes along with a little something extra that might make it worthwhile for them to stick around. Sugar Red Drive has that extra sense of charisma bleeding out of their music that makes you want to hear what's next. It's also easy to see how that charisma would translate to a live show, where'd I'd guess Sugar Red Drive is at their best. Sugar Red Drive is a keeper.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Sugar Red Drive at www.myspace.com/sugarreddrive or http://www.sugarreddrive.com/. Formal release information has yet to be released, so keep checking back at Sugar Red Drive’s website for more information!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

They suck