Don Gehman
is a pop/rock producer who is known for working with very melodic artists. From
R.E.M.
,
Better Than Ezra
, and
Tracy Chapman
to
Pat Benatar
John Cougar Mellencamp
Hootie & the Blowfish
, the artists
Gehman
has produced tend to make melody a very high priority.
One Way Ride
is no exception; on its
-produced debut album of 2000,
Straight Up!
, the Los Angeles-based alternative rock band can be forceful and aggressive but is never without a strong sense of melody.
isn't just about riffs; reflective post-grunge tracks like
"Beautiful Blue,"
"13 Yr. Old Heroin Addict in TV Land,"
and
"Pot of Gold"
make it clear that this band is about real melodies and meaningful, intelligent lyrics. If you had taken away all the amplification and forced
to make this an acoustic album,
still would have been worthwhile. Influenced by
Pearl Jam
the Stone Temple Pilots
Creed
, among others,
isn't groundbreaking by 2000 standards. But the material is generally solid, if derivative, and lead singer
Leldon
is an expressive rocker who has no problem bringing it to life. ~ Alex Henderson