The Glad Machine “The Glad Machine”
Once in a while, you find a band that just does everything right. Western Massachusetts band The Glad Machine has all the right elements, the big hooks, big guitars and the reliable rhythms that make it a joy to discover. The quartet is helmed by vocalist Brad Thayer with Neal Robinson (Bass), Greg Saulmon (guitar) and Mike Franklin (drums). The list of influences is a who’s who of power pop; Cheap Trick, The Posies, Jellyfish, and Superdrag.
“Homecoming” is a great opening theme, and it comes across like a lost 90’s rock classic, with some smooth reverb guitars and a pounding beat. “Wake Up Girl” and “Wave” has more hard rock elements similar to bands like Semisonic or The Marvelous Three. The easier mood and harmonies of “I Wanna Drive” and Cheap Trick-styled composition “Tonight” suit the band even better, and make it stand out from songs that could sound too similar. The band gets more adventurous with “18 Days” and “A Song For Steven” including some solid story-telling lyrics. Overall a pretty substantial debut, and it’s highly recommended.
Ed Ryan “Furious Mind”
Ed Ryan (The Rudies, Jupiter Jets) continues his solo journey here as he absolutely shreds on the opener “You’re My Kind of Fun,” a song that demands you turn up the volume. Now that he has your attention, Ed goes melodic on the follow-up “Here I Am” with some nice ’60s touches; the bouncy chorus, strings, and church bell flourish. Ed channels a little Ramones in the excellent “Rocket Ship,” and other recommended songs are “I Know, I Know” and the heavy jamming rhythm on “Can’t Drag Me Down.”
It’s when Ryan takes on longer songs like “Take Me Home” and “Faulty Connections,” that the limitations of his songwriting and overuse of vocal overdubs start to show some strain. That’s not to say he doesn’t shine on slower songs, as “Lullaby” is a soulful and poetic gem and the mid-tempo “Back In The Day” is a fantastic closer. Overall, a worthy follow up to last year’s Roadmap. It’s music that deserves to be heard.
