2nd Place Driver‘s official debut. The band makes a kind of music that’s in the middle of electrorock, mainstream pop/rock & industrial rock. Leave, Skip A Day, Life In The Docks & Hide qualify as mainstream pop/rock songs, with an alternative twist. Liptrip, Bigman, Wonderful & Highlife are more industrial and No Shame, Drifting By & Sulphur are somewhere in between. This debut album holds a lot of older songs, previously released on EPs, but in a reworked version. The band grew through the years and managed to create a very successful debut album. Winning an Essent Award for best new band and playing on major festivals like the Lowlands Festival, the band is on the verge of a major breakthrough. The singles Leave & Life in the Docks were received very well and Liptrip kinda got snowed under. They also released another single, their cover of Sugababes “Overload”. They completely made the song their own and it’s a favourite among the fans. That is one of their strongest points, all their songs sound like THEIR songs and they know how to promote themselves. Once you’re sold, you’re sold, and this is only number …1. To be continued?
The lead single Leave was the most excellent choice for a single. This song has “single” written all over it. It’s extremely catchy and it has great hooks. Also, the video for this song was great. Check it out on their website.
Skip A Day is probably the best song on the album. When reviewing their self-titled EP, I said this song could mean their breakthrough. And it actually was, or at least one of the reasons. Great song, and a crowd’s favorite.
The next song on the album is No Shame. And 2nd Place Driver indeed should have no shame, because it is a terrific song. The carousel tune that it opens with is a nice joke, but then the slightly industrial, catchy song starts. If there would be such a thing as a soft Nine Inch Nails, 2nd Place Driver could definitely compete for that. And this song is a good example of that. And they do this without losing the catchiness of the song.
Another song that has “single” written all over it, Life In The Docks, and yes, it was the 2nd single off the album. It did quite well, and the more laid-back sound of this song appealed to not only the longtime fans but also a lot of fans of pop/rock. A good song to reach out and enlarge the general audience.
The 3rd single, Liptrip, to me was not an obvious choice. It is a little too alternative to have the right radio format. However, when you listen to it, it is one of those songs you can’t get out of your head. And almost everyone can relate to the lyrics. The vocals on this song are remarkably strong and as always, the instrumentals are air-tight.
Then Bigman, a song that a lot of fans like. It’s one of 2nd Place Driver’s darker songs. A little harder, more industrial song. Very uptempo and when played live it shows so much energy and emotion that it should be on every setlist.
The next song Drifting By also appeared on the debut EP. This reworked version comes out even better, but it already was a strong song. Probably one of their more varied songs. “And the clouds are drifting by/And the sun is shining high”. That still goes for this song.
Hide, probably one of the most underrated songs on the album. It starts out with an almost “Goo Goo Dolls” like sound. But with the typical 2nd Place Driver flavor mixed right through it. It’s the ballad of the album. With beautiful lyrics that many people will be able to relate to, this song is a gem for many to treasure.
Next up is Wonderful, also an older song. A great live song, it sets the mood amazingly well. The song title pretty much captures all I have to say about this song.
Then Highlife, it’s a song in the tradition of David Bowie & Duran Duran. It is great live, and also on the album it is in the right place. It has a good mix between laid-back and harder sounds. It defines 2nd Place Driver, almost.
The album closer is Sulphur, the intimate version, as it is called. It’s quite the catchy song, and I wonder if it would’ve done well as a single. It might be too alternative for a radio format. But it has that really creative, special sound and I really enjoy listening to it. One of my favorite 2nd Place Driver songs.
The lead single Leave was the most excellent choice for a single. This song has “single” written all over it. It’s extremely catchy and it has great hooks. Also, the video for this song was great. Check it out on their website.
Skip A Day is probably the best song on the album. When reviewing their self-titled EP, I said this song could mean their breakthrough. And it actually was, or at least one of the reasons. Great song, and a crowd’s favorite.
The next song on the album is No Shame. And 2nd Place Driver indeed should have no shame, because it is a terrific song. The carousel tune that it opens with is a nice joke, but then the slightly industrial, catchy song starts. If there would be such a thing as a soft Nine Inch Nails, 2nd Place Driver could definitely compete for that. And this song is a good example of that. And they do this without losing the catchiness of the song.
Another song that has “single” written all over it, Life In The Docks, and yes, it was the 2nd single off the album. It did quite well, and the more laid-back sound of this song appealed to not only the longtime fans but also a lot of fans of pop/rock. A good song to reach out and enlarge the general audience.
The 3rd single, Liptrip, to me was not an obvious choice. It is a little too alternative to have the right radio format. However, when you listen to it, it is one of those songs you can’t get out of your head. And almost everyone can relate to the lyrics. The vocals on this song are remarkably strong and as always, the instrumentals are air-tight.
Then Bigman, a song that a lot of fans like. It’s one of 2nd Place Driver’s darker songs. A little harder, more industrial song. Very uptempo and when played live it shows so much energy and emotion that it should be on every setlist.
The next song Drifting By also appeared on the debut EP. This reworked version comes out even better, but it already was a strong song. Probably one of their more varied songs. “And the clouds are drifting by/And the sun is shining high”. That still goes for this song.
Hide, probably one of the most underrated songs on the album. It starts out with an almost “Goo Goo Dolls” like sound. But with the typical 2nd Place Driver flavor mixed right through it. It’s the ballad of the album. With beautiful lyrics that many people will be able to relate to, this song is a gem for many to treasure.
Next up is Wonderful, also an older song. A great live song, it sets the mood amazingly well. The song title pretty much captures all I have to say about this song.
Then Highlife, it’s a song in the tradition of David Bowie & Duran Duran. It is great live, and also on the album it is in the right place. It has a good mix between laid-back and harder sounds. It defines 2nd Place Driver, almost.
The album closer is Sulphur, the intimate version, as it is called. It’s quite the catchy song, and I wonder if it would’ve done well as a single. It might be too alternative for a radio format. But it has that really creative, special sound and I really enjoy listening to it. One of my favorite 2nd Place Driver songs.