Radio Drive – “A Taste Of Heaven” / ”Humanity”

Radio Drive – “A Taste Of Heaven”/”Humanity” – Singles Review

Boy oh boy! It’s a darn good thing I really like the songs & sounds of Radio Drive or I’d probably be more upset about the crazy path you gotta take to get to the music! The two newest singles, “A Taste Of Heaven” and “Humanity” got here into the speakers easily…problem was – they made me want more! And as my notes told me to head on over to the homepage to get’em…well…let’s just say for now I’ll assume some changes are going to be made to the navigation of the main page – as of right now, unfortunately I could only gain access to one of the two songs we already had, and only previews of others. Fair enough…Radio Drive is just starting it all up, just making that push with the new music and singles coming out, and anyone here reading knows we here at sleepingbagstudios sure didn’t have it completely together online when we first started putting ourselves out there! Besides…like I said, I’d expect that to change pretty quick…Radio Drive will find a way to make these songs more accessible, I have no doubt about it.

Anyhow…let’s talk about what I DO have my hands on, which is “A Taste Of Heaven” and “Humanity.”

“A Taste Of Heaven” was the first track I got to experience – and what an experience that was! Born from the mind of Kevin Harvey Gullickson – this new-single is saturated with sweetness and love. Self-described as ‘Adult Alternative Pop/Rock’ – even that caught my eye…sure, he’s a man yes…just never seen anyone take the time to identify themselves as ‘adult’ in their music before – so take THAT One Direction fans – you’re totally excluded from the privilege of listening to Radio Drive for at least another five-years or so!

As to how ‘adult’ it is…or how truly exclusive it would be through the sound in that respect…I don’t know. I suppose the perversions of the modern-era have led me to believe that when I hear or see the word ‘adult’ I’m expecting nudity or swearing…and in that sense, the word couldn’t be farther removed from what Radio Drive is doing. I’m trying to think of what else might have worked…’mature?’ Even that to me has similar connotations… So really, it leads to a curiosity of whether or not that tag would be beneficial to the music or if perhaps music doesn’t need to be defined by age in that sense…

I know, I know…seems like a small detail – but when your music is as completely accessible and universal-sounding as what Kevin is creating, I think any risk of limiting the amount of clicks is potentially detrimental. I’m sure I get what he’s meant by ‘adult,’ but I’m sure you can all appreciate that the youth out there might dismiss clicking on these tunes from the word alone…and I think that would suck to be honest, cause this music deserves a widespread audience. “A Taste Of Heaven” would appeal to…jeeeeez…just about everyone I’d think? Fans of bands like The Temper Trap, Coldplay, early R.E.M. – you’ll all love the catchiness and well-executed, flawless performance in this first single. I know I fit into that category quite easily myself, and the beautiful sentiment and melody of “A Taste Of Heaven” was enough to pull me right into the world & music of Radio Drive. Full of atmosphere and charm, “A Taste Of Heaven” is a wonderfully understated & charismatic tune that has perfect flow & transition as its beautiful melody strengthens from verse to chorus. From music to vocals to production, ideas to execution, “A Taste Of Heaven” is a wonderful experience from its humble beginning to its inspired, all-encompassing ending.

I find myself appreciating a song like “Humanity” more than it appeals to my personal-taste like “A Taste Of Heaven Did.” Kevin’s execution and performance are still 100% intact, he’s done another exceptional job on this tune for his vocals and lyrics – in a way it’s the Radio Drive “We Are The World,” as it packs in words that reflect the values of unity, love, peace, understanding and acceptance. Songs as pointed & direct though the lyrics as “Humanity” can tend to find a harder acceptance among listeners, even if the subject is as well-intentioned as this tune is. That being said, the melody is there in-full and that fully-inclusive atmosphere of unity is ever prevalent here in the magic of “Humanity” and its gentle rhythm.

So there you have it! No ‘adult’ label necessary – especially not with the sentiment in the final single we checked out “Humanity.” Clearly Kevin is out to communicate, unite and bring us closer together through music…to remember we’re still people and not machines just yet. Definitely applause-worthy intent and performances, Radio Drive has done very well with these two new singles.

And YES…of course I got curious and poked into the previews of the other songs I could find! Of course I did! I mean…there’s nothing about the music of Radio Drive that has turned me off, so why wouldn’t I? There are definitely some pretty vibrant sounds that make up a lot of the rest of what I’ve heard. Checking out previews of “Footsteps,” “Borders,” and “Who You Are” it actually seems like Kevin takes quite a turn towards a more rock-infused vibe than you’ll hear on these two singles we reviewed today. Clearly an artist with a lot of inspiration, sincerity and heart – it’s always awesome to run into an artist like Kevin that makes music every bit as much, if not more-so, for us all as he does himself.

Find out more about Radio Drive from the official homepage at: http://www.radio-drive.com/

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