McAlister Drive

Often, bands will label themselves with an incorrect title, wanting and trying to be what they’re not. Fortunately for McAlister Drive they know exactly who they are and in so many words they come just as advertised: a pop band, nothing more and nothing less. While at times this modesty is overly humble, most of the time it is fitting. The word pop in many cases can be a double edged sword and so it is for McAlister Drive on their first LP “Something To Sleep With” . They successfully capture the typical characteristics of a pop band but at the same time cannot avoid some of the pit falls that come with the territory.

McAlister Drive has a lot going for them on this record in the way of their overall instrumental sound. It is very difficult to create your own unique sound that lasts and that can become your trademark but they manage to pull it off. There is a perfect blend of bright acoustic guitars and sultry electric leads on songs like “Why” and the catchy opener “Got It Right” that becomes their calling card. There’s no doubt that McAlister Drive has the knack and creativity to create catchy pop hooks that get stuck in your head after a couple listens. They are spread throughout the album, from more sensitive piano melodies to a meaty edge in “Drowning” and the looping riff in “Scarred For Life” thanks to the electric guitar of Brock Bouchard , expanding their sound from the lofty ideals of pop to a more rock oriented approach. They really put on their boots and break out of the cutesy pop in the ambitious “So Close But So Far”. With their best “November Rain” foot put forward , check out the dramatic piano and guitar arrangements, as well as the driving attack in the last minute and a half, and you’ll know these guys definitely have a pulse and can kick it up a notch when they want to.


Because McAlister Drive is a pop band at heart they sing about what pop songs sing about: the trials and tribulations of relationships and love. And, as always, this is a very thin rope to walk across. Much of the album consists of Christoph Krey singing about such topics at a never-ending rate. It comes dangerously close to cliché range and pop cheese more times than not with lines like “Rats crawl across my feet/I have no food to eat” in “Left (I Can Honestly Say)”. At one point it begins to become a bit of a drag and you just want to go out and get these guys a happy meal to cheer them up. The only real sincere sounding one out of the bunch is the very last tune, the moving “From My Dream”. It is here that Krey’s personal lyrics finally match up in perfect pairing with a sweet melody that resonates compared to some of the others that sound not as real or deep but more like work


This is a band that has radio potential. Many of the songs sound ready to hit the airwaves and it seems that they already know this. This can be both good and bad for McAlister Drive. Goon in the regard that they know they have the ability and can take that confidence forward. Bad in the fact that they could simply become satisfied with how they are now and not continue to grow and expand on the bright spots that “Something To Sleep With” contains. Its totally up to them, but they need to make sure they steer clear of the traps so many other pop groups fall into and that they are already showing signs of.


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Adam Hofmann Revival

Nothing can be more compelling than when a musician can come clean with them self and let it all out in song. Sometimes such honesty can be hard to communicate but with an instrument, particularly an intimate one such as a guitar or piano, that conversation can come much easier. The instrument becomes an extension of the musician’s own self. It is very true that music allows the musician to honestly express themselves when they otherwise couldn’t, and the same can be said for Adam Hofmann Revival. Led by Adam Hofmann on piano, this self-titled album, recorded in just three days in NYC, is a perfect example of the special relationship between an artist and their instrument of choice.

The song writing and piano work is front and center throughout the whole record and rightfully so because, like any good songwriter, the honesty in Hofmann’s lyrics are what drive the songs. You can hear it in his lyrics through his somber singing in “Here I Stand”: “I can’t take another minute/not another fleeting chance/the time has come to make it/and I don’t know if I can”. His piano rides along constantly with his voice and is the perfect partner to it, accurately expressing every emotion with ease. The Adam Hofmann Revival could get by with just their strong song writing alone but what makes them even more of a well rounded band is the strength of Adam Hofmann’s voice. It sounds seasoned like that of Joe Cocker in “Shine” and delivers an urgency in songs such as “Then Who Am I” that helps lend an even greater amount of reality to what he‘s trying to say.


The band, including Billy Thompson on guitar, Mike Skillings on bass, and Kevin Fortunato hitting the skins is solid and their contributions fit Hofmann’s lyrics nicely, allowing the music to match his lyrical tone. They don’t seem to have any problem either with switching from slow ballad concentrated songs to more up-beat pop tunes. The cool neuroticism of “Anxiety” captures the overall essence of this band with it’s self- conscious lyrics, musicianship, and catchy guitar-escalating chorus; it all fits together perfectly with a memorable melody break-down for good measure. Not only does “Anxiety” manage to reflect the bands strengths, it also has a memorable warping synth intro that makes it fittingly sound unlike any other song here and a stand out track.


It comes as no surprise that Adam Hofmann has cited The Beatles and Allman Brothers Band, among others, as influences in his music. You can easily hear their presence in many of the songs, but not to the over-bearing point where it seems like he’s just ripping them off. He successfully channels their timeless presence but adds his own modern feel. Could the likes of other piano men such as Elton John and Billy Joel be brought to mind when listening to Adam Hofmann as well? It wouldn’t be a far stretch to say so. All in all, listener will be given a healthy dose of Rock ‘N’Roll, that means everything from piano ballads to funky nerves. It’s an emotional up and down ride but one that Adam Hofmann seems to be in control of, even if he might not sound so sure of it himself from time to time. 

Check out Adam Hofmann Revival at:
http://www.reverbnation.com/adamhofmannrevival