Action Packed Thrill Ride

There was a time when Action Packed Thrill Ride's tunes were steeped in countrified Americana, but over the four years the band has been at it, the sound has evolved. The quartet, which began as Lucas Johannes's solo project, hasn't completely abandoned its backwoods roots on this three-song EP; there's...

By Jon Solomon

December 10, 2009

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There was a time when Action Packed Thrill Ride's tunes were steeped in countrified Americana, but over the four years the band has been at it, the sound has evolved. The quartet, which began as Lucas Johannes's solo project, hasn't completely abandoned its backwoods roots on this three-song EP; there's still a bit of the country shuffle on sections of the title track where Johannes and Marc Cawthray sing together in harmony about how it's the best they've felt in years, and there's something magically triumphant about the ebb and flow of it all. Elsewhere, the reverb-drenched melancholy of "In This River" recalls At Dawn-era My Morning Jacket, while "Raise Your Glass With Mine" drifts into indie-rock territory. Whatever style these guys dip into, they make it work.

Jon Solomon writes about music and nightlife for Westword, where he's been the Clubs Editor since 2006.

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