The Driver Era release anticipated debut album “X”
by Emily Armitage
The Driver Era is a duo from Los Angeles, California (originally Littleton, Colorado) that consists of brothers Rocky and Ross Lynch. This new release shows incredible growth from their origin project of the family band “R5” which included their other siblings Riker and Rydel and family friend Ratliff. It was time to branch out and explore their individual potentials. The Driver Era completed their first U.S. tour in the spring where they played the album in full. Before the tour they had done a handful of festival shows to get their name out there, fans were familiar with a lot of the songs that they had played live and had influence in which songs made the cut, according to the boys in interviews and instagram live streams where they asked for feedback. As a long time fan of R5, I can see the progression through each album cycle. Prior to the release the only songs available were “Preacher Man”, which was the debut single, “Low”, a track that Rocky had worked on solo while Ross was filming Sabrina in Canada, “Feel You Now”, which was released right before the Tour, “Welcome to the End of Your Life”, and finally “Nobody Knows”. Each track sounds just as good on recording as it does live. Ellington (Ratliff) had even posted on instagram that he was tracking drums live at their last show in North Carolina. The Driver Era really emphasizes their growth as musicians but also as adults because they were so young when they started R5. When listening to each song, one can really feel the passion for the music and that they are happy with what they are doing. As I stated before, these tracks have the same energy as if it were being played live in front of a really engaging crowd. The great thing about this new music is that you don’t need to be familiar with R5 to appreciate it because it is an entirely separate project, this time they have complete creative control and room to experiment without limitations. They are able to demonstrate their talent in both strong, passionate, soulful vocals from both Ross and Rocky and the deep guitar riffs in the instrumental. This album covers a wide variety of emotions such as heartbreak and despair in “San Francisco”, “Preacher Man” and “Low”. On the opposite side there is hope, passion, love, and growth in “Feel You Now”, “Giveuwhatuwant”, “Natural”, “Afterglow” and “Nobody Knows”. There are many different interpretations and feelings that anyone can feel from listening to any of these songs but those are just a few. The tracks “Welcome to the End of Your Life” and “Scared of Heights” strike me as more self reflection tracks, a constant battle within yourself with trying to process your own feelings and emotions. I think this album will allow the world to see just what the Lynches are made of, not only do they have insane musical talent, but they also write lyrics that are raw, real and push limits to tell their story. The music is very personal and shows their growth and struggles as young adults who are trying to get their message out to the world.
10/10 listen to “Preacher Man”, “Nobody Knows”, “Feel You Now” and “Scared of Heights”.