Danger Radio - Nothing's Gonna Hold Us Down

Pop Rock
Doghouse Records

Danger Radio

Nothing's Gonna Hold Us Down

Review rating:

2

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Criticism is something Danger Radio is used to. While lead singer Andrew De Torres is also one half of scene darlings The Scene Aesthetic, Danger Radio’s reliance on sugary pop and synthesizers often invokes comparison to Disney pop princes the Jonas Brothers, something which also draws ire from purists who believe that bands need to sound rough and unproduced to be truly good. While this may not be particularly true (see: new releases from We Are The In Crowd, The Morning Of, and The Summer Set), Danger Radio definitely hurt the opposition’s argument. While the Nothing’s Gonna Hold Us Down EP is the type of stuff one would expect from Danger Radio, it is still extremely underwhelming, and is at times totally unlistenable.

The EP kicks off with “Nothing’s Gonna Hold Us Down,” a catchy, R&B-infused track that will not hold the crowd down when played live, and continues with “You & Me,” which, with its smooth beat and infectious chorus, serves to be a fairly strong mid-tempo track. Immediately following “You & Me” is “Memories.” While not awful, the song sounds like something off of a Kill Paradise record instead of a Danger Radio album. “Build It Up” falters from the start, with sloppy verses and an inadequate chorus. “Set You Free” could be a good song, and almost reaches the level of above-average pop rock, but is hindered by its irritating synth line. Immediately following “Set You Free” is the requisite ballad, “Alibis.” Surprisingly enough, the band doesn’t fail in executing this song, and while it is not amazing, it emerges as one of the EP’s stronger tracks. Unfortunately, this ballad is followed by “So Shaken Up,” a disgrace of a track that will leave the listener shaking in horror if he or she actually decides to listen to it. With terrible production, and disgusting and monotonous verses and chorus, this song brings down what could’ve been an otherwise adequate EP.

Overall, Danger Radio’s EP, while not necessarily BAD, is not good either. Most of the songs dance upon the line between the adequate and the average, and those that do not are well below the line of mediocrity. This EP will not gain Danger Radio any fans, considering it is not much of a departure from their full length, but it might lose them some. And unless the band is content with this phenomenon, they would be advised to shape up and release an album with songs that at least can be considered “average.”

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