The three brothers deliver in fine style on their third album!
Three brothers from St. Joseph, Missouri – Isaiah, Soloman and Dee Radke, formed a band named after their surname back in 2010. Managed by their dad, Matt, the trio found inspiration in his record collection and employed a D.I.Y ethos prevalent in much of what they heard. Radkey is a lesson in perseverance and resilience. Record companies, booking agents and disappearing financial backers have seemingly only driven them to push harder in pursuit of their ambitions.
Following on from previous album releases, 2016’s ‘Delicious Rock Noise’ and the 2020 follow up, ‘Green Room’, comes new release ‘Bedroom Sand’. It continues that DIY self-reliance, having been recorded at Syracuse University’s school of music, thanks to the help of a supportive professor. The result is 8 slices of rock goodness.
It opens with ‘Victory‘, an old school rocker of a tune, thundering bass underlaying the track with a riff straight from the heart of 80’s metal. A guttural, sustained roar launches, grabbing attention before a more subdued vocal. This is an honest rock tune that manages to show the skills of those involved, with memories of Thin Lizzy and early Iron Maiden forming in the mind as the guitar lead drives the song on. It’s a fitting tribute to the records they listened to in their youth, and a solid introduction to the band.
Another side to Radkey is displayed on ‘Falling Out Of Grace’, a slice of bright, breezy pop/punk. There’s vocal depth, subtle harmonies, and a guitar that seems to dance across the track, lifting, swirling and laying a perfect foundation for the vocals. This is very radio friendly music, the type that gets the feet moving and hands tapping along. It’s not just a straight forward tune though, there’s a surprising change in style later in the song that really hits home – a clever addition.
There’s slightly more combustible guitar on ‘Ready To Burn‘, opening with just bass and slightly gentle vocals, before a harder-edged guitar comes in to drive us on. The contrast between the rather light vocal delivery and that rougher guitar works to great effect, the two combining to add feeling to the rather downbeat lyrics. Again you have that bounce in the beat and the song manages to roam around, changing in tone a few times without feeling disjointed or forced.
If ‘Victory’ had a slightly 80’s feel, ‘Welcome To The Backyard‘ goes back a little bit further. There’s a garage band feel here, reminiscent of the Ramones, playful, joyful music that charges along. The very cheerful vocal delivery contrasts with an apparent relationship breakdown conveyed in the lyrics. I’m assuming that’s a deliberate move – it works perfectly, sad songs don’t have to be miserable!
The title track, ‘Bedroom Sand‘, is a perfect example of how to make a slightly straightforward core give depth to a tune. Starting slowly, minimalist instrumentation provides a foundation that is expanded upon as the song develops. Subtle guitar runs and understated backing vocals help to change a slow start into a more expansive whole. Songwriting craft, the ability to shape a simple idea into a complete and polished song isn’t as simple as some think; this song goes a long way to proving that.
‘Strays‘, is a song for the disaffected, the outsiders, the forgotten. Lyrically a call for people that don’t fit in to unite and find comfort with their ilk. Musically it matches the lyrics perfectly, a combination of lively music and vocals that are both upbeat and slightly lonely; disconnected from each other but united at the same time. A song that encapsulates the subject perfectly.
‘Return To The Sky‘ returns us to a more upbeat tempo. Straight into it, no messing about with complicated intros or anything fancy. Fast, powerful, very much alive. It’s a song that fair rattles along. It’s not raw, there’s a slight lightness to it, as all the songs on this album seem to have. Just as you might think there is just power and pace, the contrast of the guitar solo breaks in, somehow maintaining and changing the dynamic of the song at the same time.
The album closes out with ‘The Heartless‘, a song that seems to capture what Radkey are all about, melodic, lively music. Music that just screams “Good Times”, that reflects the music that influenced them but without sounding shallow or jaded. The song shifts and changes, both style and tempo, sweeping you along, putting a smile on your face. Good music for a good time.
Radkey have played with some massive talents over the years, Foo Fighters, Jack White, The Descendents and The Offspring, to name but four. That sort of connection doesn’t come easily, it’s something that has to be earned, justified. This latest release proves that the connections are warranted.
Radkey are a band that have had to do things differently, battling adversity and setbacks again and again. They have spent years kicking back at everything that has come their way, and kept on pushing, kept on believing. ‘Bedroom Sand‘ is testimony to that belief, a solid collection of songs played well, with attention to the small details.
A repeated line in ‘Strays‘ is “No one wants to take us home” – not true. Take ‘Bedroom Sand‘ home, and if you haven’t already, welcome Radkey into your life; it will be a lot better for it.
‘Bedroom Sand‘ is out NOW – stream and download the album HERE
Catch Radkey live:
July 24 – Kankakee, IL – Merchant Street Music Fest
August 1 – Kansas City, MO – Celebrate AMERI’KANA Music & Arts Festival
August 28 – St Louis, MO – Red Flag
October 2 – Leclair, IA – Goldie’s Deli
October 3 – Whitewater, WI – The Green House
October 4 – Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club
All Photos: SARAH JABEN
- Victory
- Falling Out Of Grace
- Welcome To The Backyard
- Bedroom Sand
- Strays
- Return To The Sky
- The Heartless
- Ready To Burn
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Heavily influenced by an older brother, I discovered a love of music at an early age, initially with Punk but eventually with pretty much everything. I play guitar and bass to a very low standard and regularly ‘entertain’ my family and dogs with unwanted noise. I am usually found at the back of both gigs and football matches!
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
