Lovedrug - Everything Starts Where it Ends Review

The cover to Lovedrug's "Everything Starts Where It Ends" does not really inspired many individuals. Hopefully, it will be the case that people find the band through their Myspace. The introductory track to the album is "Happy Apple Poison", and it shows Lovedrug as an act that is influenced by the early-nineties stylings of Jane's Addiction with a much more current brand of emotional rock. This results into something that I would believe that the Black Crowes would sound like if they were more talented and if they became big in 2007 rather than the nineties. "Pushing The Shine" is another track that is single-worthy for Lovedrug.

The track seems to move slightly in the influences that it is based off of. This time, there is a heavy influence for the band for the rock music of the late nineties, with significant nods made to acts like Blur, Placebo, and Stabbing Westward. Again, the band has the capability to bring the discussion into the current period, which is why individuals in 2007 will dig the album. "Castling" is the third song in a row of Lovedrug's that could easily make it into radio rotation, but is of a quality that critics can like it. The rich instrumentation will remind individuals of Coldplay, while the catchiness of the vocals is equivalent to late Blink 182 or The All-American Rejects.

The slower sound of "Thieving" might hinder other acts, but like The Fray (which the track has more than a passing similarity to), Lovedrug is able to keep individuals interested and clamoring for more. Very few acts are able to really expand upon the pop genre, and it takes an intrepid band like Lovedrug to do just that. While the instrumentation may not be as inspired as a Zappa or a Coheed and Cambria, the interplay between elements of the band is without comparison. The fact that the band can create these radio-friendly sound while still having such an honest and musically sound style puts this band on a level that few acts are able to reach. Any of the songs on "Everything Starts Where It Ends" could be present as a single, and I have little doubt in my head that more than a few of these will make it there. If one likes strong musicianship or inspired arrangements, this album may just be the best purchase of 2007.

Top Tracks: Thieving, Dancing

Rating: 7.5/10