King Radio – Are You the Sick Passenger?

Are you the sick passenger?

If so, it’s likely you’re unaccustomed to riding with a driver who continually throws the vehicle into reverse, careening back to the groundbreaking pop of the ’60s, only to plow full speed ahead into music’s uncharted future. For example, King Radio’s song “Famous Umbrellas” couches a subtly absurdist lyric within a Bacharachian melody, propelled by a Carol Kaye-style bass line that could’ve been a Pet Sounds outtake in a past life. Former Scud Mountain Boy Frank Padellaro garnishes the mix with a sweet George Harrison slide guitar solo, elevating the mood with a rhythmic shift akin to Radiohead’s “2+2=5.”

“Meet the Maker”—with its breezy acoustic rhythm, Padellaro’s yearning tenor, a John Lennon piano break and a heart-tugging string arrangement—provides the road-trip tunage for a departed soul’s journey to alt.country/pop heaven. This album will be readily embraced by fans of Wilco and its more pop-oriented offshoots such as The Autumn Defense. Imagine stepping backward from A Ghost is Born to Summerteeth in terms of songwriting, while retaining the fidgety hanker for sonic exploration.