Album Notes

Listening to The Bradbury Press' latest CD, "The Front," you might initially be tempted to draw comparisons to the bands that the Seattle-based quartet cites as influential - Pearl Jam, early Counting Crows, and Dave Matthews among them. But only a few minutes into the CD's first track, it becomes obvious that The Bradbury Press has taken those influences, infused them with their individual life and musical experiences, and developed a style and sound that is uniquely their own.
Mixing equal parts acoustic-tinged rock and power pop, that style and sound is based equally on well-crafted songs, written by both lead vocalist Darren Golden and lead guitarist Dave Brewer, and on the strong musical rapport they share with drummer Greg Garcia and bass guitarist Travis Hartman. As soon as Darren's distinctive voice launches into the CD's title track, the combination of his yearning vocals, his earnest lyrics, and the song's sparkling guitars offers a tuneful introduction to a collection of twelve tunes that range from the ballad, "Running Through My Mind," to the quiet intensity of "Domino," to the firmly tongue-in-cheek country-tinged (and aptly titled) "Country Ditty," to the sparkling light-hearted pop of "White Picket Fence."

On the crowded and often boringly homogenous music scene, where pop idols are made on television and mass produced in record company boardrooms, the Bradbury Press stand apart for their un-self conscious heart and soul, and their grassroots dedication to bringing their music directly to their fans. Now, with the release of "The Front," there are sure to be even more fans whose can say - as one recently did - "Love em, simple as that."