Album Review - Sunday Drive: Needle/Eye

needle/eye - ..::sunday drive::..
Released - April, 2006

A long overdue review of local band ..::sunday drive::..  Some background will be helpful to start out this review.  SD is from Dallas, and consists of Ryan Thomas Becker, Jeffrey Gruber, Clinton Hoyler and Grady Don Sandlin.  These names may pop up in other Dallas area bands, as these guys tend to express themselves in a variety of different projects.  For readers of this blog, Gruber's name probably sounds familiar, as he also plays in Pickle (the band I'm in), and played guitar on the album "This Good Life".  I got my hands on this CD at a release party in April, where Pickle opened up for SD.  Also, SD and Pickle are on the Special Session Recordings label, which is run by Gruber.  Got all of that?

So, now the review.  I have been listening to the album for about two months now.  I listened twice right after the show, and then spent the last month listening to it here and there.  I've had about 12 full listens so far, so I'm ready to review.  The difficulty is how to review and album of people you know.  If its good, you can't be too nice, or no one will believe you.  If it sucks, you can't be too mean, because you know these guys.  So, in this review, I assure you I will be totally objective, and will have at least two criticisms just to show I'm being thorough.

Needle/Eye saved me from my main fear of reviewing an album of people I know.  It is a very solid album, so I don't have to pretend it didn't suck.  SD has a very soulful, jam band feel, but they are by no means folksy or simplistic.  The musicianship is outstanding.  Great harmonies, solid beats, and impressive guitar work.  The first track, "Next Train", immediately brought to mind the Gin Blossoms, and I really like the Gin Blossoms.  The shimmering guitar opening on "Love Machine" has a Ween quality to it, and the progressions and rhythms throughout the album remind me alot of Toad the Wet Sprocket.  My favorite song on the album is probably "Another Year", just a wonderfully memorable and singable chorus, and smacks of the attitude and soul of The Black Crowes.  SD has a great sense of melody, and does a good job of creating choruses that make the entire album easy to enjoy on an first or second listen.  Vocals on the album are shared by Gruber and RTB, and while I now can usually tell who is singing, their voices compliment each other very well, and make for easy transitions from one track to the next.  If I didn't tell you there were two singers, you might not have noticed.  The quality of the recording is remarkable for a self-release.  The main thing I notice on Indie records is that the mix is never quite right (I even include my own albums in this category), but this is very warm and professional sounding.  Unfortunately, knowing SD and having seen them play live on many occasions, I still don't think the album catches the fullness and energy of their live show.  Also, there are sections in songs that break out of the songs structure for jams.  That's really fun live, but on the album, it's not as rewarding at times.  But capturing a live sound in a studio is the Holy Grail of all talented small time bands, so this is in no way a strike against the album as much as an encouragement to go see them live if you enjoy the album.  Their live show is that much better.  Not every song bowled me over, but even my less favorite tracks are still quite listenable, and at their worst, SD has more magic in them than 99% of the bands playing live in Dallas.  I don't find myself skipping anything.  My second criticism (I promised two didn't I?) is the CD artwork.  I don't think the cover art really fits the style of the music, and as such, the average person who knows nothing about SD will not get an idea of what they are like or be attracted to listen to the CD.  In the end, if the main complaints a person has is that they don't like the cover and need to go see ..::sunday drive::.. live, it means they have an album on their hands that should have no problem keeping people's attention.   This album never disappoints, and is guaranteed to spark interest in one of the gems of the Dallas scene.

Key Tracks:  "Another Year", "Next Train", "Fighting Living Lies"
Rating: 7.5 of 10