Review: Flying under the suburban radar

Feb. 24, 2005
By Dan Knewitz
Staff Writer

Let’s face it, there isn’t much variety to the local music scene.  You can find most local bands either screaming in a bar or strumming in a coffee shop.  Anything between the two extremes sounds fresh.  So if it’s that fresh sound you seek, look no further than the Suburban Chronicles.

This pop/rock trio resides within the Quad Cities.  The group is comprised of Evan Parker on drums/vocals as well as Ambrosians Jesse Virgil on bass/vocals and Brad Johnson on guitar and lead vocals.

Their sound is hard to put your finger on.  Virtually everyone can relate to the lyrics as they read, as if they were straight out of any troubled teen’s journal.  A blend of sing-along choruses, catchy guitar riffs, and a solid rhythm section gives you a sound that might remind you of the Goo Goo Dolls or Collective Soul.

Why take my word for it though?   You can hear them for yourself. The Suburban Chronicles have recently recorded a collection of ten solid songs ready to be produced.  Recorded using pro-tracks, a computer and two microphones, the album is described by Parker to be, “a home grown album through and through.”  Don’t let this fool you though, as the sound quality of the album is on par with that of a small studio.

The band has definitely established an identifiable sound, while at the same time explores different tempos and approaches to songs which give each song its own identity.  “Bitter Reaction” is a slow tempo song with a chorus that will find its way into your head days after listening to it, while a song like “Imaginary Friend” is upbeat and not afraid to get your toe tapping.

“I think what’s great about the album is that it’s diverse,” explains Johnson.

They also aren’t afraid to throw other instruments in to the mix.  The song “Taken” is introduced with brief humorous dialogue followed by a djembe keeping the beat.  The song is perfect for sitting around a campfire.  On the flip side, the band adds a melancholy feeling to the album’s closer with their friend Stephanie Mason on viola.  Parker’s first reaction to Mason’s addition was skeptical.  “I wasn’t very enthusiastic about a violin player, but I was really, really impressed.”  The song should also be noted for its strong vocal harmonization in the chorus as well.

When it comes to their aspirations, the band comes off as modest.

“The one thing we want to achieve is to do an album that is recorded professionally.  If we could sell five hundred copies that’d be sweet,” states Jesse Virgil.

Parker goes on to say, “I’d like to get a local following.”

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