Full Review: Playradioplay! - Texas

‘Texas’ is full of smooth electronic rock, the same which has become quiet common in the mainstream with the likes The Postal Service, among others. ‘Texas’ is also Playradioplay’s first full length album and whether you want to like it or not you probably will.

Playradioplay’s style is one that is very focused. What I mean by that is even though it’s electronic rock it tends to be on the slower side, often mellow and if you are expecting something else you could be quiet disappointed. Personally I was kind of expecting something more upbeat and along the lines of The Secret Handshake or Hellogoodbye, which this just isn’t. That being said when, Daniel Hunter who is all of Playradioplay, put out his first EP “The Frequency E.P.”, I wasn’t really impressed. When songs from ‘Texas’ started showing up on the band’s Myspace page I became even less excited for this release. Listening to the album as a whole is a completely different experience and one that made sense.

Musically it is mostly electronic beats and sounds but there is also analog instruments such as drums and an acoustic guitar that do make appearances such as on “Madi Don’t Leave”. That song has a long pre-chorus that is full of pounding drums and strums of an acoustic guitar before it switches to an electronic chorus.

Lyrically the album is the equivalent of a movie like ‘Shaun Of The Dead’ which mixes the comedy genre with the horror one. This record isn’t horror based but it does mix serious and humorous lyrics. When someone is singing it’s often hard to tell when they are being sarcastic but with Playradioplay it’s just something you have to expect. The song titles alone should tip you off to the sense of humor Hunter has.

“I’m a Pirate, You’re A Princess” would have to be the album’s, not best, but stickiest song in that the melody is genius. Again the lyrics in the song are ones that should make you smile (or cringe) as you begin singing along with “I am a pirate, you’re are a princess…everyone would love us, even Courtney would love us”.

Daniel has strong and mature vocals that mask his real age and the fact that he is just out of high school. “Corner Office Bedroom” is a darker track that repeats “The corner office is not my home…” which you could mistake Hunter for a late 20’s something guy whose been slaving away in a downtown office for years at a job he hates. The record concludes with the very short title track “Texas” which give you a small glimpse into the albums title and love for his home state.

Track Listing
1. “Loco Commotion”
* “1.5. Suddenly, I’ve Become a Perfectionist”
2. “I’m a Pirate, You’re a Princess”
* “2.5. A Special Thanks to Dr. Allan C. Lloyd”
3. “Some Crap About the Furniture”
* “3.5. Invisible Suits and Ties”
4. “Madi Don’t Leave
* “4.5. For the Whole World/Room to See”
5. “Without Gravity”
6. “See You Soon”
7. “I’m Afraid There’s a Hole in My Brain”
* “7.5. Taxes”
8. “More of the Worst”
* “8.5. Lady Killers Wear Funny Hats”
9. “My Attendance Is Bad But My Intentions Are Good”
* “9.5. Cheap Paper With Full Color Advertisements”
10. “Corner Office Bedroom”
* “10.5. Why Is Everyone Running?”
11. “Forgiveness, The Enviable Trait”
12. “Texas”

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Buy this album on Amazon.com