Go Radio - Lucky Street Stream/Initial Impressions

As easily one of my most anticipated records up to this point in the year, I can't help but feel some slight disappointment. Jason Lancaster has always been a superb vocalist and songwriter, but something feels missing from his voice and a couple of the tracks. Opening track "Lucky Street" just seems to bore me, especially in the chorus, and Jason seems to be missing that second gear to his voice. "Any Other Heart" is Jason and Go Radio at their best, with an absolutely killer chorus with an outstanding hook. The album doesn't get back up to the level of "Any Other Heart" until "Swear It Like You Mean It". The song gives the initial impression of a piano ballad, but turns into a huge rocker. Jason returns to give chills during the bridge, which is probably the best point on the album to this point. The redone "Why I'm Home" and "Why I'm Home" put Jason alone with a piano, allowing him to recite some of his best lyrics. The rest of the album features a few changes for Go Radio, including a bouncy acoustic guitar and a somewhat disjointed phrase structure in "Hold On", a Mariachi sounding horn section at the intro of "Fight, Fight (Reach For The Sky), and a guitar solo at the end of that same track. "The Truth Is" ends the album with another piano ballad, though it doesn't stand up to the two redone tracks or "Goodnight Moon". Overall, the album is solid, though I'm not too sure how it will stand up to the test of time. Jason's vocals at time seem very bland, and some of the hooks aren't up to par. However, the album is full of some very solid tracks. Myspace quality may as well take away from some of the song quality, but I guess I'll have to wait and see how it ends up in my collection by the end of the year. Stream the album on the band's Myspace page here.