Culturally Relevant, Musically Diverse Lyrically Complex: a review of Radio Company’s 2-volume discography
Radio Company’s anxiously awaited second album comes at a point in time when hope is finally rising from the worldwide calamity known as COVID-19, a novel coronavirus that continues to ravage the populace. Music lovers have keenly felt the absence of live performances, whether in intimate venues or supersized stadiums, and that sense of loss is soothed within the boundaries of this album. The purpose of this review is not to replicate Kenedi’s track-by-track piece of Vol. 2, written for Nerds and Beyond. Rather, the aim is to expose themes across both albums and place Radio Company’s works within a cultural context.
Between the two albums, there are nineteen songs which can be divided into five different categories. Musicologists and sociologists would probably argue that there are more categories or that specific genres should be defined. For this review, five categories are sufficient. Some songs fit into multiple categories which is one of many reasons why Radio Company’s music is so interesting.
“Anyway, That You Want Me, When I’m Down”, “All Our Own, Eyes On Me”, “Livin’ In You, Off My Mind”, and “City Grown Willow” meet the definition of a love song in various ways. One should not suppose that love songs are either happy or sad. Imposing a binary structure is so limiting! Love songs populate a spectrum of emotion and action as evidenced by the way people will “Seal away the truth” to fit another’s perceptions. Others hold fast to the idealistic view that there is only one person out there for each of us in “a world we can call our own.” Different kinds of love exist in each of these tunes. Listen carefully.
The angst, frustration, and precarity that life and people hand us appear within “Bound, Drowning”, “Let Me Be, Dead To Rights”, and “Truly Forgotten”. These three emotional components prompted a closer look at the U.S., worldwide, and personal events that may have impacted Steve Carlson and Jensen Ackles’ songwriting. For instance, did the continuation and eventual ending of Supernatural play any part? The lyrics of “Let Me Be” off of Vol. 1 feel like a message directly to the fandom masses. (“Oh you wanna know/ Everywhere that I travel…You may care for me/ Or say you’re there for me/ You decide, I’m goin’ either way.”).
Social media platforms have transformed the relationship between actors, characters, and fans. Parasocial interactions have blossomed and there have been notable squabbles in the #SPNFamily. Case in point, the most recent J2 “argument” over the Ackles’ leading the production of a Supernatural prequel. Word of the project appeared on Twitter before Jared Padalecki (aka Sam Winchester) heard about it. Feelings were hurt, statements were tweeted and deleted, fans took sides, apologies were made, and much fanfiction was created during those few days! Regardless of whether the song’s message is from Jensen or Steve, at some point the public — the fans — have to realize that celebrities are people, too. Sometimes they want us — they need us — to just let them be.
Two songs, in particular, tackle the theme of taking chances. Based on the lyrics (“Fidelity at thirty-three/ …Before you flip to B”), “Cannonball” seems to be a commentary on the music writing process; perhaps even the music industry in general. Creativity behind closed doors can be immensely satisfying. Gambling on putting one’s talents on display for public consumption is something else entirely. Defining “fidelity” as loyalty and faithfulness (to yourself, to your craft, to someone else) as well as the “degree of accuracy with which sound is recorded or reproduced” uncovers the song’s multiple layers. The music industry is fickle, like music lovers, and it is rife with artists who’ve experienced the capriciousness that allows some to become platinum performers, others to be one-hit-wonders, and still, more to be “way down low/ where the light has gone.”
“Jump On Into The Fire” feels very much like a response to two significant events: the #BLM protests (“Loaded up, locked it in/ Starin’ down that line/ Illuminated, noises faded/ ’Til the shot went off inside”) and more literally, the wildfires that ravaged thousands of acres of land worldwide. Jumping into anything, (“Out of mind/ done lost the time”) implies action that has no forethought, no assessment of the risks or consequences.
Hurdling head-first through a risk-filled world where dangers aren’t always evident, everyone needs a person, place, or thing to catch them; ensure they feel safe, secure, treasured. “When I’m Down” hits on this idea of safety from both secular and spiritual perspectives. (“All I need is to be/ With the one I believe that’ll save me.”) identifies that special someone who keeps us going when we need a little extra push. The spiritual undertones don’t batter the listener with overt religious imagery. Instead, (“All I need is to call you on/ Won’t you carry me away?”) gently evokes the popular Christian poem “Footprints in the Sand” which says: (“…when you see only one set of footprints in the sand, It was then that I carried you.”).
The last amalgam category of Being Lost/Being Found/Searching/Understanding, comprises several songs: “Quarter To”, “Livin’ in You”, “Bound”, “Watching Over Me”, and “Eyes On Me”. The speaker from “Livin’ In You” says, (“Ain’t got a love you can call your own/ Come over baby, and I’ll make you a home.”), implying that they realize the person they’re addressing has either lost the love of a significant other or is looking for one. “Bound” expresses the idea of searching for something similarly, (“You caught an airplane / And found a reason to live.”) and starts to explain that finding and having love may not be everything it’s cracked up to be (“It don’t want ya, love, don’t want ya, no/ …/I was bound to take the fall.”).
As a lifelong musician, avid reader, writer of poetry, and analyzer of words, this former English major relishes the idea of parsing out some of the lyrics specific to Vol. 2. The focus is on only a few songs because meaning is manifested both by the writer and the listener and these are the tracks that produced the greatest impact. Remember though, the words of folk icon Pete Seeger, who, when asked about the meaning of his song “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?”, said, “Whatever it means to you, it means” (Hutchinson, 2013).
Crafted with a familiar chord structure, “City Grown Willow” was the first song released off of Volume 2. Reading through the comments from the live Youtube debut on Good Friday (April 21, 2021), many were stunned at the emotionality present in the lyrics. Who among us hasn’t wanted someone to give us permission to run away? Reverbing guitar arpeggios, written in 6/8 time, flow swiftly under Jensen’s comforting tenor encouraging our feet to go with “the man from the mountains.” Thirst-inducing and heart-warming videography aside, this song gives us the gentle pleadings of two people from very different backgrounds delivered in a modern, breathy, bardic style.
“Watching Over Me” also plays with breath and evokes a very Pink Floyd-esque whisper in the echoes. Evident in the choice of fuzzy guitar is the concept of not being able to see clearly what is often right in front of us. While it might be fun and wish-fulfilling for those immersed in the Supernatural fandom to imagine the lyrics as Dean Winchester’s love song to Castiel, Angel of the Lord, it’s more likely those words hold a far deeper meaning for the writer(s) than fans will ever know.
“Truly Forgotten”, with its fading horns and gritty guitar embodying the sultry feel of Prohibition’s speakeasy days, reminds us that there’s no such thing as an original story. To history and literature buffs, this song should recall the archetypes of the hero’s journey (“Roy never known what they wanted him to be/ So he tore it down.“) and a lover’s vengeance (“Lori followed behind/ … With her rage/ And her wrath in full bloom.”). Carlson’s throaty vocals weave the tragic tale of Roy and Lori, two people born into incredibly difficult circumstances late in the nineteenth century. And sometimes, when the plaintive trumpets moan, no heroes remain. Love and justice don’t walk hand-in-hand, rather they growl and wail at each other “like a rainbow fading into blue.”
“Quarter To” harkens back to early 50’s and 60’s protest songs, both lyrically and musically. As a writer “always second-guessing my voice”, these lyrics resonate deeply and personally; this author is forever in search of the exact right word for every occasion because the language we wield matters. Forget “hitting you in the feels because reasons.” Eloquent lyrics enable us to strip away generalizations and more effectively express ourselves.
Look at the lines (“this paper and pen/ always been a weapon of choice/ feathered in lead”) to illustrate the point. Consider the pen as a weapon: feathered like an old-fashioned quill or lightly coated as a dusting? Recall Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s oft-quoted adage “the pen is mightier than the sword,” from his historical play Cardinal Richelieu. The cardinal goes on to say, “Take away the sword! States can be saved without it.”
Lead: is it heavy with responsibility or it is the primary ingredient in bullets? Either or both, regardless, our words and our voices become ammunition with which to calm or hurt or arouse or even rescue.
The upbeat tempo and light-hearted mandolin riffs belie “Quarter To”’s serious tenor. Of all the tracks on Vol. 2, this song is an inspirational powerhouse and it is awesome to view the precision with which Ackles and Carlson seem to express a feeling of powerlessness when observing the effects of ongoing racism. It also mashes up in a delightfully unexpected way with When In Rome’s The Promise, imbuing that song with a new meaning almost thirty-five years later.
Regarding mashups, the following combinations could prove really interesting.
Eyes On Me + Under the Milky Way Tonight (The Church)
Quarter To + The Promise (When In Rome)
When I’m Down + Renegade (Styx)
Sound of Someday + House of the Rising Sun (The Animals)
There is further pleasure to be gained by listening to all nineteen songs in a specific order. Perhaps it’s fate that the order from which to gain the largest “emotional bang” alternates from one volume to the other. Play this list in reverse and it’s possible you’ll be lifted out of whatever slump you find yourself in. And face it, in the last 12–18 months, we’ve all been pretty slumpy. Your musical mileage may vary, of course.
V1 — Let Me Be
V2 — All My Living Time
V1 — Drowning
V2 — Quarter To
V1 — Cannonball
V2 — Jump On Into the Fire
V1 — Dume
V2 — City Grown Willow
V1 — Bound
V2 — Truly Forgotten
V1 — Off My Mind
V2 — Dead To Rights
V1 — Living In You
V2 — Any Way That You Want Me
V1 — When I’m Down
V2 — Eyes On Me
V1 — All Our Own
V2 — Watching Over Me
V1 — Sounds of Someday
Fans of the duo’s first album, who may have been expecting more upfront vocals from the multi-faceted Jensen Ackles, get to experience a different kind of smoky smoothness in the voicings of longtime singer/songwriter, Steve Carlson. At times, the harmonies one encounters throughout Vol. 2 blends so effortlessly, so thoughtfully, it is difficult to tell who carries the melody. This velvety co-existence between voices is an uncommon occurrence. When it manifests, the results translate almost literally into spine-tingling chills, complete with goosebumps, and urge the listener to let the rest of the world fade away as the music surges and ebbs.
Taken together, Radio Company’s Vol. 1 & 2 span several musical genres, despite the Spotify-assigned generic label of “Rock.” Influences from classic rock, jazz, blues, folk, and country allow both lead singers to showcase vocal, instrumental, and melodic strengths. If one listens closely, the collection is culturally relevant; it stands as a participant in, an observer of, and a reporter on the best and worst that humanity has to offer in the last few years.
In Ackles’ own words, “we’re hearing a sound we didn’t necessarily set out to create.” (Youtube, Making of Volume 1.) That serendipitous discovery is more than any of us could have hoped for, let alone deserve, and exactly why we need it.
