Post-grunge melodicism: call it the destiny of nineties rock. Riding the crest of the wave, tvfordogs follow their acclaimed 2003 debut, 'Heavy Denver,' with the beguiling new 'Roller.' Built on crunchy guitars, soaring vocals, and tightly honed songwriting, 'Roller' evokes the broad-based appeal of Coldplay and Foo Fighters, passing it through a new lens. Rooted in alternative, tvfordogs reach to the stylistic periphery for trips into shimmering roots rock ("Drive") and melodic pop ("Be Careful"), displaying an adventurousness increasingly uncommon in contemporary rock. Released by U.S.-based independent label Wampus Multimedia, 'Roller' is very hard to forget, a stirring entry in this year's modern-rock sweepstakes.
Built on the sturdy songs of singer-guitarist Neil Luckett, tvfordogs are anchored by bassist Mark Homer and drummer Paul Jarrett, who fuel this classic British power trio's salutes to touchstones from Radiohead and Queens of the Stone Age to Beck, Todd Rundgren, and the Beatles. Liberally quoting but not replicating their influences, the band melds and recasts them in the manner of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, refracting New Wave through a prism of the Buzzcocks, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Jam, and XTC.
Built around a radio-ready mix of the title track by Nirvana producer Jack Endino, 'Roller' evolves from the punk-infused opener, "The Universe Is Blue," to the Kurt Cobain nod "Everlasting Sun," to the Chili Peppers pastiche "Always There," to the towering mea culpa "Monolith." It is the stunning, AAA-inflected "Drive," however, that delivers the payoff, bridging the gap between noise and melody, aggression and serenity, age and youth. In its poetic narrative, a couple travels aimlessly from town to town, searching for a new home, sleeping in their car, pondering the destiny they deserve and the one they will find. "I'm not even sure," Luckett sings, "if we should be forgiven. So we drive."
Produced by Luckett in London with assistance from engineers Oliver Goodall, Dave Fowler, and Tony Perretta, 'Roller' joins a Wampus Multimedia roster that includes new releases from Cafebar 401, Casey Abrams, Arms of Kismet, Johnny J Blair, and Alice Despard, as well as 'Hurry Home Early: the Songs of Warren Zevon,' to which Luckett contributed a version of Zevon's "Mutineer." Skilled interpreters of the work of other artists, tvfordogs also covered "How Do You Think It Feels" for 2003's 'After Hours: a Tribute to the Music of Lou Reed.'
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