By Ethan Walshe
Editor-in-Chief

Tallahassee based pop-punk quartet Go Radio are set to release their sophomore album Close the Distance via Fearless Records on September 18. This latest effort is a bit of a departure from their first full length, 2011’s Lucky Street, as the band’s sound has taken a turn for the mainstream, moving towards more radio friendly tracks.

Gone are the days of the 2010 EP Do Overs and Second Chances, which was full of thick pop-punk riffs coupled with frontman Jason Lancaster’s tremendous pipes. While there are glimpses of the older sound for Go Radio, the entire feel of Close the Distance is one of a band trying to find its way into the popular music scene.

Go Radio is no stranger to the piano and often incorporate the grand sound into many of their songs, but on Close the Distance it’s as though it was a requirement. More than 3/4 of the tracks either feature or focus on the piano part but that is no negative. The second single “Go To Hell” is a brooding, angry track about a bad breakup, juxtaposed beautifully with an upbeat piano piece throughout the chorus. “What If You Don’t?” is this album’s “Goodnight Moon,” accentuating Lancaster’s vocal abilities over a single piano track with strings accompanying as the song progresses.

On the same train of thought, it’s as though the guitar took a secondary place to other instruments on this album. There are arguably no memorable riffs on the record, save for what is potentially the most radio-friendly track, “Things I Don’t See” which may be the band’s breakthrough into the more popular scene. It is yet to be seen how that will play out.

Lyrically, Close the Distance is on par with everything else Go Radio has released. Love and relationships are common themes throughout the band’s discography and their latest effort furthers these themes.

Overall, Go Radio have adopted a slightly different sound and a new direction with their sophomore album, which is not out of the ordinary. Bands are constantly evolving and bettering themselves and Go Radio have managed to accomplish this move without alienating any of their old fans. New fans will enjoy the band’s new vibe while old fans will find the old Go Radio in many of the tracks.

Go Listen To: “Go To Hell,” “Lost and Found,” “What If You Don’t?”