Riddle me this BATMAN!
What do you get when you cross the rockin’ melodies and power-pop vibe of Rick Springfield, the rich harmonies and powerful guitar licks of TRIXTER and the lead vocal style and anthem-like chorus’ of BON JOVI? The answer boys and girls is Australia’s latest export THE RADIO SUN whose debut release “Wrong Things Right” is poised to make quite a splash in the melodic-rock world.
The core of the band is composed of former SQUARE ONE members lead vocalist Jason Old, guitarist Stevie Janevski and drummer Ben Wignall who created quite a stir in their own right back in 2006 with the release of “Supersonic.” Then after the demise of that project, Jason, Stevie and Ben recruited bassist Robbie Erdmanis in 2012 to form THE RADIO SUN who immediately caught the attention of Paul Laine (Ex-DANGER DANGER/ SHUGAAZER) who is certainly no stranger to the melodic rock world and not only agreed to mix the band’s debut release but also used them as his backing band on his most recent Australia tour. Together, this group of talented musicians has produced a CD which is nothing less than extraordinary. I had actually caught the acoustic set by these guys at last year’s MR3 and was rather impressed but I never expected ANYTHING like this.
From start to finish, every song… every note of “Wrong Things Right” is pure melodic rock PLATINUM featuring all the heavy harmonies, tenacious hooks, toe-tapping melodies and big, BIG chorus’ any melodic-rock fan can handle. The opening and title track “Wrong This Right” kicks you right in the gut highlighted by an up-tempo, feel-good melody leading into a HUGE anthem-like chorus that you can almost imagine a video for being highlighted on MTV (when they actually played music videos) back in the mid-80’s with the band being surrounded by spot-lights, explosions and pyrotechnics.
“Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” with its immediately identifiable, almost Rick Springfield-sounding guitar lick is another great track with another big, BIG chorus which will stick in your head for DAYS… LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT! And the guitar solo just fits SO perfectly it will simply blow you away!
“World’s Gone Crazy Now” tones it down just a notch in the beginning with a bit of a George Lynch/ DOKKEN-ish sounding guitar part that leads into a more modern-day sounding rocker. Almost on the lines of a BLINK-182, but with an overall melody which stays true to that mid-to-late 80’s style. And with barely a split-second to breath, this launches right into “No Ordinary Star” which blends so perfectly with its predecessor and a transition so flawless that unless you’re looking at the track screen on your CD player at the time, you’ll find it hard to recognize just where one song ends and the other begins. LOVE the progression on this one as well as it bridges brilliantly from that modern-rock sound into an anthem-like, 80’s style chorus.
“Let’s Talk About Love” is driving me absolutely CRAZY! This one really has all the magnificence of a mid-to-up tempo BON JOVI anthem. So much, in fact, that Jason’s nuances and vocals on this one sound so close to that of Jon Bon Jovi I can literally hear him singing the same lyric “You and I” in a BON JOVI song that I just can’t put my finger on. Come on people… help me out here! What song am I thinking of?
“Julie” is a very cool track as well. This one definitely has a more aggressive flair to it complimented but some very potent guitar licks and fills. And hey, any song that can mention “KISS, VAN HALEN, DOKKEN” in a single breath gets a big “thumbs-up” from me but… just who is “Julie?”
Next we come to “Do It Again” but this ain’t no STEELY DAN cover! This up-tempo, feel-good song really impresses with its head-bopping melody and a great, harmony-filled chorus magnified by some more very structured and potent guitar work. Then “Take a Look Around” reverts back to that Rick Springfield style with a touch of a BON JOVI “kick!”
“Summer Girl” couldn’t have been more appropriately penned or titled as the slightly darker melody really gives the song that empty, lonely feeling you get down the shore towards the end of summer initially accomplished so lustrously by Don Henley on “Boys of Summer.”
Now you’d think with a title like “Goodbye” the song would be more of a ballad or a power-ballad at the very least, but don’t be deceived. This is an absolutely superb mid-tempo rocker combining lots of harmonies in both the verse and chorus with some additionally robust guitar leads and drum fills. “Head Over Heels” is a bit deceptive as well starting off acoustically with Old showcasing his incredible vocals against just an acoustic guitar. But as Wignall counts it off on the skins and the layers of guitar and bass begin to kick in, the song builds to a rich, powerful and beautifully harmonized chorus you’ll find you’ll be singing to yourself long after.
And finally, the CD climaxes with “Beginning Or The End.” I really love the moodier, extended guitar intro on this one layered over a haunting keyboard melody before kicking into high gear with an edgier, vivacious verse leading into one final perfectly executed melodic chorus… simply brilliant!
I love surprises! And certainly nothing has surprised me more this year (so far) than THE RADIO SUN’s “Wrong Things Right.” Don’t get me wrong, I knew these guys were good when I saw them at MR3 but remember, I only saw them “acoustically.” I never realized just how amazing these guys truly are and furthermore, combining a band of this magnitude with someone like Paul Laine was not only genius but has produced a collection of songs melodic-rock fans should be talking about for years to come. Congratulations ALL! See you in our “Top 10” in December… | 
