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

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

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.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Westword has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.