The reason the music business is in shambles has nothing to do with piracy. The problem is that there is virtually no talent that really merits our hard earned money. Seems nowadays, anyone with Autotune gets a contract and airplay. If record labels put their trust and resources with real talent, like One Way State, music as a whole would not be the complete marketing disaster it is today and indie artists would make consistent headway in this industry. People would spend their money to buy the music, and the talent would reap the benefits of their hard work.
One Way State have toured the vast Canadian landscape in support of their debut release “One Way State”. The first single, “Empires Fall Daily”, has also enjoyed moderate success on campus radio across Western Canada. They completed three tours of Western Canada from November 2010 through May 2011, including performances at numerous festivals like NewMusicWest and SOSFest in Edmonton.
Influenced by artists from all genres – from Radiohead to Foo Fighters, from Red Hot Chili Peppers to Dave Matthews, and home-grown Canadian rock from acts like The Weakerthans, Matthew Good Band, and Sam Roberts – they’ve cultivated a sound that, while being shamelessly catchy, retains originality and art, which has proven to be a fine line to walk in 21st century rock.
The stunning thing about “The Right Time,” is that when most bands seem to be tampering down their rougher edges using Pro-Tools, synthesizers, or electronics, One State Way move in the opposite direction: theirs is a brawling brand of aggressive, tumbling rock-n-roll.
“The Right Time” is simply one of the better indie rock albums I have heard in years. The band’s songwriting ability is amazing, the instrumentation, arrangements and production are extremely well done, and quite honestly, every song on the album could stand on its own.
As for the songs, “The Chase” is one of the tunes that you can call both catchy and brutal. The staccato riff is a killer as is the band’s performance. “The Right Time” and “These Days” are more melodic and really grow on you both lyrically and musically over repeated listens. The real standout tracks for me however are “Cycle” and “Rust.” Two radio-ready rockers with a great hook in the guitar line, sizzling six-string solos and a touch of sadness in the lyrics. All delivered with some solid vocals.
Quite possibly my only qualm with this album would be, that I would have kicked off the album with these final two tracks, instead of “Riot,” for quicker added impact. On the other hand though, I’ve never heard on any other album, closing tracks as good as the deeper, more emotional two tracks that close this album. It seems perfectly bookended.
All told, “The Right Time” is a great rock n’ roll album and worth the purchase. I’m willing to fork over the money for this. It has absolutely no duds, from the first song to the last.
Members/Instruments:
Cody Mack – lead vocals, guitar
Nick Moir – lead guitar, bg vocals
Brandon Thomas – bass
Charley Jeske – drums
Production: Stew Kirkwood, Sound Extractor Studios – Edmonton, Canada
The cover of One Way State’s album – “The Right Time”
OFFICIAL WEBSITES:
www.onewaystate.com
www.facebook.com/onewaystateofficial
www.twitter.com/onewaystate
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