ALBUM REVIEW: 6 Songs by Airdate

Airdate - 6 Songs
It’s about this time every year that my CD player begins delivering me more upbeat messages of melody. Indie favorites are often replaced with pop-punk classics reeking of sentiment and nostalgia…. if only for a moment. The fact remains that I rarely find a new addition worthy of taking part in this inevitable musical shuffle. Airdate may very well be that undiscovered band that quenches my fleeting thirst for cliché portions of catchy pop rock.

On their most recent (August 2007), rather bluntly titled demo 6 Songs, the band is most certainly not reinventing the wheel (or musical theory, for that matter), but as a sucker for power chords and jumpy-tempos, I’m okay with that. "Walking Alone" definitely stands out as the band’s catchiest song, but all are equally accessible and capable of being summer-smash-radio-hits. Give it time, and we’ll be seeing Tyson Ritter introducing them, through slurred speech, at an MTV awards show.

Vocalist Doug Del Gaudio has an uncanny ability to write memorable, sing-along melodies. This, coupled with absolute consistency, helps to deliver an image of optimistic boyish innocence. Songs about girls haven’t sounded this good since Say It Like You Mean It. While "Better Days" and "Anything" seem to fall a little short, they give me great hope that a huge ballad isn’t far off for this Long Island quartet. The choruses and structures are there, but these two in particular are lacking some sort of substance, that a bigger budget/producer will definitely be able to provide them.

While there isn’t much to reiterate about this EP, it will proudly be holding its place as the lone CD-R demo in my car’s collection for the summer. Airdate may not have found a more impressive place in mass media yet, but I sense them breaking through the barrier very shortly. Another 6 Songs, and Airdate just might be pop-rock’s next big thing.


Recommended if you like: Making April, Ashley Parker Angel, The Starting Line