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Tyler Read
Only Rock and Roll Can Save Us Now
Immortal
Tyler Read, despite initial indications, is not a one-man show and this is no solo album. It takes all five members to provide the grit, power and intensity of Tyler Read on their debut album Only Rock and Roll Can Save Us Now. Of the eleven songs here there is much to recommend: The explosive opening track, "The Killer," on which singer Josh Johnson, over a frantic guitar riff, tells us the killer in question "doesn't do it for the money, but the people who go." Elsewhere, "Intentions," the album's second offering, provides the catchy combination of polished rock and roll energy and memorable melody that could put the band on the radio right now. It pulls back in all the right places and unleashes exactly when you expect and need it to. Tyler Read's sonic approach may be simple—make it loud, make it energetic—but that's not to say they don't mix up the content. "Michael Jackson " traverses the topics of loneliness and failure, while "Private School Girls " pays homage to high school relationships and youthful misadventures, while the mellow cooldown of "Heaven," speaks of holding on and seizing the moment. Tyler Read has put their time in on the road and in the studio and look to seize a few moments of their own with their debut. The opportunity is there.
—Daniel Galleno
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