Blast Album Review: Drake Bell | Ready Steady Go!
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We all know him, most of us love him and his quirky attitude toward music, as well as his “controversial” (seriously, they’re not that bad) tweets pertaining to various subjects. You must know I’m talking about the charismatic singer/songwriter, and genre-hopping expert, Drake Bell. Drake Bell will release his third full-legnth studio album, Ready Steady Go! next week on Tuesday, April 22nd, and I know fans worldwide cant wait to hear what Bell has constructed for his latest release.
Bell’s upcoming album spawned the ex-crashing hit, “Bitchcraft” which is certainly a track we can all easily relate to and connect with that one dreaded ex, or in Bell’s case all of them. So, does Bell’s new slick-backed hairdo and rockabilly shoes warrant a successful comeback? Or is Bell ready to be hung out to dry? You can find out the answer to those questions in my full review of Drake Bell’s throw-back album, Ready Steady Go! below:
1. Sunny Afternoon
What Drake Bell manages to accomplish with “Sunny Afternoon” is quite amazing. Bell manages to bring back the good old age of music, one that many will sadly have no appreciation for in this day and age with everyone trying to become the next Justin Bieber or One Direction, which is quite the shame, so I guess it’s a good thing I love this style of music and am a huge fan of instrumentally-heavy tracks that also happen to utilize Bell’s vocals to their peak. “Sunny Afternoon” was the perfect starting point for an album that can only satisfy in the long run.
2. Bull
A much faster-paced track, “Bull” speeds things up to deliver an emotionally-charged song that will have listeners on their feet dancing about, either by themselves or a close-by partner. “Bull” is home to some truly nostalgic instrumentals, as the guitar wails and bleeds, and manages to become the main heartbeat of one of my favorite tracks Bell has ever released. Bell himself continues to surprise as his vocals are pitch-perfect while still managing to take listeners for a long-lasting ride.
3. I Won’t Stand In Your Way
A track I predict many will relate to right away, can only mean great things are still in store for listeners. “I Won’t Stand In Your Way” comes off as a track that many acts back in the day possibly could have released in their hey day, and no, that’s not a bad thing at all, it’s actually an amazing thing Bell managed to achieve. This very track might not be my personal favorite, but it’s certainly one I’ll be replaying for many days to come. Seriously, it’s been quite a while since I’ve felt passion and heart emote from various instrumentals, something many acts nowadays rely only on vocalists to project.
4. Bitchcraft
Yet another instrumentally dominate track, also manages to be one of the catchiest tunes to be featured on the album. “Bitchcraft” proves Bell is ready to shake up the shackled music industry and splash the generic pop tunes with a sense of style and flare. This specific track is heavy on solos, yet another reason to love this track, as many bands in this genre fail to captivate with very mediocre solos, something Bell and his raving arrangement of musicians achieves with ease. “Bitchcraft” is by far Bell’s lead gun that’s ready to fire and lead the world into a musical revolution.
5. Runaway Boys
After a track like “Bitchcraft,” it was quite hard to get into the soul of “Runaway Boys” as the only thing the track has going for it is it’s in your face use of instrumentals. Bell sounds quite tired, and just doesn’t mix well with the track’s use of high-pitched instrumentals, which at times really drowns Bell’s otherwise outstanding vocals in a sea of lackluster sounds. “Runaway Boys” is by far one of the weakest tracks to be included on Ready Steady Go!, but it’s an amazing thing that it took five songs before showing a sign of weakness.
6. Makes Me Happy
As we all know, I’m a huge sucker for acoustically-backed tracks, and “Makes Me Happy” does the job quite exceptionally. Yes, I know “Makes Me Happy” seems to be Drake Bell’s go to track a la Plain White Ts and “Hey There Delilah,” and I simply don’t care, the track after so many years is still pretty amazing, and could possibly go down as one of Bell’s greatest tracks. “Makes Me Happy” is an insanely catchy track, and besides being incredibly radio-friendly, is also a track filled with immense heart and passion.
7. It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me
This specific track is incredibly genius. “It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me” picks at various insecurities, and manages to turn them into one hip tune, a track I suspect will be one listeners will play various times throughout the day, including myself as I’ve packed on about thirty-five plays already. The instrumentals featured throughout the track are quite subtle but get the job done, as Bell’s vocals are where the real show seem to be when it comes to this track, and truly captive with a unique sense of Rock ‘N’ Roll.
8. Melina
Yet another track I honestly tried to enjoy quite a bit, but I only see it as a track that tries way too hard to fit in with the rest of the album. Now, that’s normally not a bad thing, and the track isn’t horrible by any means, it just didn’t manage to speak to my senses, even though it’s a track with some pretty wild melodies and hooks. “Melina” is one of those tracks that will have listeners singing its overally-poppy chorus in a manner of seconds, and that’s never a bad thing.
9. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
It’s always a toss up when any musician covers a track by the invincible rock band, Queen, but Bell manages to cover the hit song with integrity and love for the original. Fans of the original Elvis Presley tribute tune should have no problem loving Bell’s updated take on the track as he manages to add his own sense of style while still staying true to Queen’s original hip-shaking track that’s beloved by so many.
10. California Man
A true rockabilly-styled album wouldn’t be complete without this style of track, and Bell doesn’t disappoint. “California Man” had me on my feet moving about, and I’m sure the same could be said toward any listener that gives the track a spin. “California Man” really showcases Bell’s talent as a vocalist, as his vocals dance happily with the track’s straight forward instrumentals, which is a trait I’ve been loving with this release.
11. Back Of My Hand
Bell certainly knows how to create passion-filled tracks that really challenge today’s music scene, and I hope he has more tracks like “Back Of My Hand” prepared in the pipeline, as it’s a truly original track that takes from familiar ideas and reinvents them with a load of charm that will have anyone falling for Bell’s sense of music. “Back Of My Hand” is a catchy track that I’ll probably add to my weekly playlist sometime in the future, if I haven’t already. The instrumentals showcased here are fueled with techniques that will drive many crazy, in a good way, and I can easily see this track becoming a fan favorite as time passes.
12. Give Me A Little More Time
Drake Bell drops tension like a knife as all previously displayed energy dies out for one final ballad of emotion and intimate meetings. “Give Me A Little More Time” is quite the track, as it supplies the album with a sense of urgency and a lifetime of tales, some more heartbreaking than others. Bell is excellent at striking listeners within their hearts, and that fact is further acknowledged with “Give Me A Little More Time” as we get our final blow-out track, which ends a roller coaster ride of an album on a mountain of various feelings.
Drake Bell’s rockabilly-inspired third studio album, Ready Steady Go! captures an era of music that hardly exists in today’s industry, and that’s something to truly be excited about. I honestly would love for other musicians, or up and coming artists to venture into other styles of music that have since faded from the spotlight and make them new again, that’s pretty much what Bell achieves with this release. Ready Steady Go! is filled with catchy hooks, hip-shaking instrumentals, and other various elements that will drive listeners crazy if they give the album a chance, and pretty much ignore Bell’s cookie-cutter pop past.
I enjoyed Drake Bell’s latest release quite a bit, and I’m sure the same will be said for fans and new listeners worldwide. I give Drake Bell’s swinging new album, Ready Steady Go! a surprising 5 out of 5.
If you’d like to check out Ready Steady Go! for yourself, than make sure you head on over to your favorite music source and pick it up next week on April 22nd, when it’s officially released to the world.
Songs To Check Out
- Sunny Afternoon
- I Won’t Stand In Your Way
- Bitchcraft
- Makes Me Happy
- It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me
- Give Me A little More Time
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The Breakdown
Vocals
Instrumentals
Lyrics
Production
Replay Value
Excellent
Drake Bell's rockabilly-inspired third studio album, 'Ready Steady Go!' captures an era of music that hardly exists in today's industry, and that's something to truly be excited about.
