From the Jackson 5 to the Jonas Brothers, there have been many family bands that have made it big over the years. It could be their family comradery and loving appeal that make these groups stand out, but they are often just a talented bunch of people who work well — or well enough — to make music that people love. R5, now on a break, is one of those groups. Geared essentially toward the Disney Channel pre-teen to teen demographic, the Lynch siblings and friend [Ellington Ratliff] did an amazing job at securing their spot on that list of multi-talented, brilliant musicians.
R5 fell predominantly in the pop-rock category, but Rocky and Ross Lynch’s new project, The Driver Era, takes a different direction. Their first single “Preacher Man” has a neo soul vibe with infectious energy and an epic, effervescent beat. The lyrics are original and beyond catchy, and I can guarantee that your foot will at least be tapping along to the solid pulsing that comes from the beat of the drum and piano notes. It’s an epic feat, blending genres the way that they’re doing, and they’re doing it on their own, with a fresh look at the music of the future.
“Preacher Man” is a brilliant song, point blank. It is the perfect way to jumpstart this new direction and their new musical beginning. Ross’ vocals have come a long way and are flourishing on this track. The brothers have sculpted the lyrics to this song in a way that they haven’t before, impressing me to no end. Rocky told Atwood Magazine earlier this month, “So like, ‘Preacher Man’ is an alternative rock song; we have another song that I can best describe as a ‘beach trap’ song. It almost has like, a Post Malone thing, with like, a Weezer thing. And it’s not like, Oh this sounds like a Post Malone song, or this sounds like a Weezer song, that’s just, the best way I can base its sound on.”
On that note, I cannot wait to hear what else The Driver Era has in store for the music world. Although, whatever it is, I can guarantee that it will be breaking the mold, pushing boundaries, and setting the ground for even more amazing genre-blending madness.
