Album review: ANGELS AND AIRWAVES – The Dream Walker

[Released 09.12.14]

This album is just one part of a multimedia project from Angels and Airwaves that will include a short film, comic books, a graphic novel, videos and animations that will all tie in to a central character known as Poet Anderson. Not sure when the related materials like the comic book are released.

The band feature Blink 182’s Tom DeLonge and the band have slimmed down to a core duo, with Ilan Rubin remaining alongside DeLonge.

I have not really paid much attention to the band previously, however this album will make you sit and take notice. It is very synths/drum beats heavy like Muse or Coldplay and has some glorious melodies like on ‘The Wolfpack’ or the instant aural hit of the album’s opener ‘Teenagers And Rituals’.

The musical backing is awash with synths, urgent drums and almost prog rock vibes on a song like ‘Kiss With A Spell’. There is a whiff of the Killers on ‘Bullets In The Wind’ and there is surprisingly little guitar on the album. In fact ‘Anomaly’ is the only song where the guitar gets heard, a gentle piece that rounds off the album well. Highlighting too the melodious vocal of DeLonge (digging the tabla and steel drums on the song too!).

A far cry from the comic punk pop of Blink 182, Angel and Airwaves have produced an album you will keep coming back to as the music is just so damn catchy. Time to investigate their backlist for this music fan…

****

Review by Jason Ritchie

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)