2008 Woodie Awards
Sound Check
State Radio--Year of the Crow
Steven Veit
Issue date: 1/29/08 Section: A & E
Pre-empted by the EP "Wicker Plane," State Radio's "Year of the Crow" satisfies fans' anticipation with a growing range of sounds that reinforces the band's explosive style. Harmoniously blending roots-reggae and rock, the album is charged with poetic stories of political struggle and corruption.
Previous albums carried a more mellow sound, but with "Year of the Crow," State Radio picked up the pace with electric guitar solos surrounded by driving beats and loud choruses. With the inclusion of extra instruments, like a trumpet in tracks "Barn Storming" and "Fall of the American Empire," the band develops a more sophisticated sound that mixes well with the band's reggae sound. In comparison to the albums "Us Against the Crown" and especially the remixed tracks of "The Barn Sessions," "Year of the Crow" is definitely the State Radio album with which to rock out.
While some fans will likely approach the new album's sound with criticism and confused caution, others will happily welcome the change.
Regardless of which camp one falls in, the album carries an anti-establishment political agenda infused with revolutionary lyrical content reminiscent of Bob Marley that can be appreciated across the board.
Aside from the driving rock sound, the album also hits a softer note with ballad-esque tunes. "Unfortunates" tells the story of two young American men wrongly accused of manslaughter and "Sudan" gives an account of the genocide in Darfur. The album concludes with "Fall of the American Empire," a commentary on the decadent culture of the U.S. Patient listeners will hear the hidden track "Sybil II," which is a sequel to the hidden track on "Us Against the Crown."
State Radio has a new sound for a new generation. If you cannot wait until the store release on Feb. 5, the album can be purchased from iTunes or from State Radio's online store at www.stateradio.com.
4 out of 5 stars
Previous albums carried a more mellow sound, but with "Year of the Crow," State Radio picked up the pace with electric guitar solos surrounded by driving beats and loud choruses. With the inclusion of extra instruments, like a trumpet in tracks "Barn Storming" and "Fall of the American Empire," the band develops a more sophisticated sound that mixes well with the band's reggae sound. In comparison to the albums "Us Against the Crown" and especially the remixed tracks of "The Barn Sessions," "Year of the Crow" is definitely the State Radio album with which to rock out.
While some fans will likely approach the new album's sound with criticism and confused caution, others will happily welcome the change.
Regardless of which camp one falls in, the album carries an anti-establishment political agenda infused with revolutionary lyrical content reminiscent of Bob Marley that can be appreciated across the board.
Aside from the driving rock sound, the album also hits a softer note with ballad-esque tunes. "Unfortunates" tells the story of two young American men wrongly accused of manslaughter and "Sudan" gives an account of the genocide in Darfur. The album concludes with "Fall of the American Empire," a commentary on the decadent culture of the U.S. Patient listeners will hear the hidden track "Sybil II," which is a sequel to the hidden track on "Us Against the Crown."
State Radio has a new sound for a new generation. If you cannot wait until the store release on Feb. 5, the album can be purchased from iTunes or from State Radio's online store at www.stateradio.com.
4 out of 5 stars