The drummer for Open Air Stereo is Nick Gross, who also runs a music production company called S.T.R.Z. Enterprises. If an album produced by a drummer isn't enough reason to check these guys out....

(Please excuse my terminology. I haven't been listening to music as a "musician",as Pastor Bob kindly put it, for very long.)

The album open with "Maurader/The Right". I love songs that the intro is so big it needs its own title (like Eruption from Van Halen). I can only describe it as a sweeping instrumental that they pull down to a point to really get the song going. There is a touch of 30 Seconds to Mars influence, but these guys have a sound that is their own. This is my favorite song on the album, but the rest are really good too.

The next three tracks, "Love is Blind", "Give Me Everything" and "Stuck on You" are all solid radio ready singles. (In fact Stuck on You is their first release from the album.) In "Give Me Everything", the separation between the verses and the chorus kinda surprised me. It goes from an alternative pop feel to more rock sound, and then back. If it were a painting, critics would label it as visually appealing or interesting. Since its a song I'll just call it awesome.

The rest of the album is just as good. "What You Want" is a perfect concert song; it really invites you to sing backing vocals. (Which I can confirm happened at their show on Friday)

Two things struck me on this album. The first is just my quirky observation. There is a similarity in the backing vocals on a few of the songs, most notably in "Stuck On You" and "The Right". It reminded me of the sounds that the money's make when they sing. It's not a bad thing and they don't really sound like monkeys - I think that maybe my mind just went there is because the album is called "Primates".

The second is that I can't put them in a definite genre. Some of the songs I would classify as alternative, and others have a real rock feel. The variations just make me want to keep listening and paying even more attention to the technical aspects of the album.

I had this album before the concert Friday night, and I really liked it. After hearing these guys live, I'll be a fan for life. Check 'em out!




www.openairstereo.com