By R.M. Engelman
Collective Soul continues to be a main touring draw since the early 90’s especially since they’ve held together a consistent ensemble. The stable lineup consists of Ed Roland (lead vocals, guitar, keys), Dean Roland (rhythm guitar), Johnny Rabb (drums, vocals), Jesse Triplett (lead guitar, vocals), and Will Turpin (bass, vocals). The release of their 13th album started earlier this year as part of Record Store Day, and continues with the worldwide release on July 31st. Pre-orders in digital, CD, and vinyl are available on their website.
Every successful band that enjoys longevity, experiences the ability to take their music creatively down new avenues. This is especially true of returning to your musical roots the way you want to express it. The new release by CS offers Ed a chance to revisit the influential styles of the 80’s. The album’s title Touch and Go of course harkens back to the Cars influence on the musical taste of that time period. The British invasion bands of the 60’s typically started out as blues bands influenced by U.S. artists, and gradually interjected other influences. The best way to pay homage to these roots is either to cover a song, or write one in a similar style.
The first track Rainbow, uses a bit of new wave vibe but somehow conjures up images of Sgt. Pepper’s studio charm. Eye On You has that Car’s sound along with some Todd Rundgren (Todd incidentally fronted the New Cars incarnation) feeling in the mix. Uh Oh has the subtle keyboard/synth backdrop. All My Days on Thru has a nice guitar-drums lead in. Heavy Load somehow makes me envision The Tubes doing it. Fun has that Billy Idol/Steve Stevens edgy keyboard/guitar groove. Again, has nicely blended vocals with clever lead guitar work. Feel is a ballad tempo offering that has the vocals nicely blended through. Shooting For You is a nice mid-paced song with some bouncy effects, that would definitely fit well in a movie soundtrack. Love Your Way effectively combines various elements of that era.
The album blends and covers the New Wave era uniquely. The band was definitely feeling it. Ed’s vocals frequently echo that of Rick Ocasek. The backing vocal mix compliments the songs. The essential keyboard/synth action was nicely integrated. Guitarists Jesse and Dean easily picked up this format, which owes a lot to The Cult and of course the Car’s guitarist Elliot Easton. This genre is also definitely in the rhythm sections wheelhouse. Drummer Johnny and bassist Will are feeling the vibe. The structure and arrangements are extremely well done. The parts all tightly fit. Treat yourself to going back in time and escaping the mind-numbing effects of most of today’s current offerings. Time for the legion of fans to catch this, best of all in their favored format!