Rival Sons
Pressure & Time

Campus Correspondent CD Review by Marion Olea

While most popular radio out today has begun to sound just about the same, Rival Sons looks to change that with its unique yet familiar bluesy rock sound on its second studio album. Often compared to bands such as Led Zeppelin and the Counting Crows, Rival Sons wonderfully captures the beloved music of the ‘60s and ‘70s throughout “Pressure & Time” (Earache) without getting lost in the shadows of its remarkable predecessors.

“Young Love” instantly transports the listener back a few decades and sets up Rival Sons’ musical path. The song’s sultry beats and perfect vocal work from Jay Buchanan bring it together to generate an instant hit. “Gypsy Heart” delivers fantastic instrumentation and is one of the more powerfully written songs off “Pressure & Time.” The strong influences of Zeppelin can be clearly heard here, but the band owns the song and doesn’t come off as a mere imitator. Easily one of the strongest songs off the album is “Save Me.” Musically it excels on every level and its lyrical message is deeply relatable.

While “Get Mine” and “White Noise” are sub par compared to the rest of the album, they still have some shining moments in them. Rival Sons are one of the few artists these days that don’t rely on auto-tune to crank out a hit, but solely depend on its own musical ability. It’s a band that recreates one of the greatest musical time periods of our time and brings its own style to it. “Pressure & Time” is a breath of fresh air to listen to and definitely one of the best albums to come out this year.