Customer Reviews

Love and Radiation

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

All Star United returns with another magnificent set of power pop tunes packed full of big hooks, swaggering guitar riffs, and smart lyrics. In fact, I think this is finally a worthy follow-up to ASU's first two records. It's not quite as charming as their self-titled debut All Star United or as diversely quirky as 1999's International Anthems for the Human Race, but it definitely ranks higher than the disappointing, under-produced Revolution(2002). Love and Radiation is a summer record which jumps out of the speakers like musical confetti, showering the listener with rock n' roll goodness.

Ian Eskelin (writer, producer and lead singer), coming off a superb outing with his solo record Save the Humans, continues to write smart, catchy tunes that will engage your brain even as you roll down the car windows and sing at the top of your lungs. His work should be placed next to other infectious "brighten-your-day-make-you-smile" power pop bands, such as Fountains of Wayne (Traffic and Weather) or Weezer (Weezer (Blue Album)).

The album begins with a rocking bang--the title track kicks things off with a quiet build before jumping into the massive chorus explosion: "You're the one I've been waiting for, you're my rocket to the sky." From that point on, the album never looks back, and indeed does rocket through 37 minutes of some of the best sunny power pop tunes you'll hear this year. In addition to the title track, highlights include "Before you Break my Heart," "Let's Rock Tonight," and "Jesus on the Radio," all of which can easily be radio hits.

If you've never heard ASU before, this is easily a great place to start. If you're already a fan (or a diehard like me), then you'll love this record. Here's to another 10 years of ASU records...keep them coming, Ian!

This is quite a catchy album. It contains some pretty breath-taking riffs and no lie, their is like a guitar solo on very single track XD. But lyrically it reflects songs to Jesus to thankfully it's not typical watered-down Christian music. As I said before, very catch and up beat, sort of contains a "Feel-Good Vibe" and such a rarity. A great album, check it out.

This crisp release from All Star United is a stellar example of great songwriting with hooks that will just drive you nuts (in a good way) in the first listen or two. The lyrical sarcasm in "Song of the Year " is hilarious.

This polished sound is not surprising if you look at the catalog of artists Ian Eskelin has produced. He has a midas touch that I have not seen since the likes of "Mutt" Lange in the 80's and 90's. Many reviews like to label this genre of music "over-produced". I never understood that sentiment as a negative. To me it's simply snobbery to call recordings that sound recorded in a basement with a cassette recorder...just so much more deep. Bah! Under-produced = incompetent. I suspect these people don't like movies with special effects either....but I digress...this is great high-energy summertime music, so give it a listen.

For the most part, this album is unexceptional CCM/pop fare. But the title track contains flashes of lyrical brilliance that make it worth enduring the overproduced music. "We Could Be Brilliant", "Like Hallelujah", and "Take Me Away" are also worth sampling.