Radio Sounds is spiritually aligned with 2018's spectacular Just Another Regular Summer. But this album is bigger, better, and even more emotionally wrenching than its predecessor. The playing and production are immaculate, and the songs are truly magnificent. Julian is really in his element here, turning out song after song about heartbreak, longing, and the sadness of love lost. He has quite a flair for combining the melodic punch of new wave power pop with the drama and romance of '60s girl groups and teen idols. Radio Sounds, as the title suggests, draws inspiration from the timeless pop hits of yore. The influence shows not just in the melodies, harmonies, and choruses but also in Julian's lyrics. Of course he can write a catchy song that will have you humming along and hopping merrily around the house. But as enjoyable as these tunes are on the surface, they're also songs that you can really feel. I consider Julian a true soul singer. When he sings of heartache, despair, and bitter disappointments in love and life, every word rings authentic. He's lived his music. And that is the secret formula for great pop - to create joy by making others less alone in their misery.
From start to finish, Radio Sounds is packed with remarkable songs. If lead single "Kisses Are History" doesn't move you to tears, you probably weren't listening very closely. "The Day I Call You Mine" is perhaps my favorite Speedways song to date. The protagonist in this tale is willingly throwing himself into heartbreak's line of fire, and I relate to that on a personal level. Even as I listen to this song and think "This guy's in for it!", I know I would be in the same boat. If you believe in love, you sometimes have to take your punches. If you stop believing in love, that's a far bleaker existence in my book. "Empty Pages", another choice cut, manages to be devastating and hopeful all at once. That chorus will pull at your heartstrings all day long! "Good Girls Don't Break Hearts" and "Telephone Lies" are vintage Speedways numbers - bitter pills that go down easy. If 1980 had never ended, these would indeed be radio sounds. "Your Brown Eyes Look So Blue" is snappy R & B that ought to have you dancing into the night. And just as Julian did on Just A Regular Summer, he places the album's two most dramatic, epic songs at the end of each side. "This Is About A Girl Who Loves The Sun", which eerily employs Marilyn Monroe's "I'm generally miserable" quote as a backdrop, will absolutely tear your heart out. Album closer "In A World Without Love It's Hard To Stay Young" sounds like it should be playing over the closing credits to a powerful cinematic love story. That title is truly profound, and the song seems the perfect culmination to an album that ultimately asserts that the heartbreak we endure in life is absolutely worth it. I've played this song dozens of times over the last few weeks, and it never ceases to take my breath away.
The Speedways worked meticulously to make Radio Sounds the strongest album it could be, and they have succeeded spectacularly. As great as Julian was on his own, he's even better in tandem with the like-minded and talented Venegas, Alfonso, and Hood. This album rings with the echoes of everyone from Buddy Holly to Phil Spector to Elvis Costello to the Exploding Hearts. It's a classic style pop record that manages to sound fully contemporary in 2020. Radio Sounds isn't just the best power pop album of the year. It's the best power pop album in a whole lot of years! It's available now from Snap! Records/Hurrah Musica, Beluga Records, & Alien Snatch Records!
-L.R.
https://thespeedways.bandcamp.com/album/radio-sounds
https://aliensnatch.bandcamp.com/album/speedways-radio-sounds
https://www.facebook.com/JustAnotherRegularSummer/
https://www.facebook.com/ALIEN.SNATCH.RECORDS
https://www.facebook.com/Hurrah-M%C3%BAsica-1586097248302242/
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