Last year the rock group GospelbeacH put forth their Another Summer of Love album (Alive Naturalsound Records) that I regretfully didn’t publicly opine on, but it beautifully captured that 70’s AM radio sound so perfectly, it transported me back to my formative years with a warm, fuzzy feeling. GospelbeacH is essentially Brent Rademaker (Beachwood Sparks, The Tyde) indulging in that classic Southern California soft country-rock sound, with guitarist Jason Soda and keyboardist Jonny Niemann filling out the core of the band and a revolving cast of supporting musicians.
“Dreamin’,” recently debuting on Earbuddy, exemplifies that ol’ feeling and though it was recorded during the Another Summer of Love, this song doesn’t look, errr, sound the part of an outcast at all.
Brent Rademaker’s voice is not Tom Petty’s but it’s in the ballpark; kind of like TP without the sneer. While Rademaker has made yet another eminently sunny and catchy tune that could have been written by the Heartbreakers, GospelbeacH takes much of the edge off. “Dreamin'” is Rademaker’s conception alright, but Soda’s production does a lot to bring it to reality…those Byrd-like vocal harmonies, jangly guitars, the Mellotron, and that overall analog aural wash.
It’s Laurel Canyon all over again. And I love it.
- Ivo Perelman, with William Parker + Rashied Ali – ‘Sad Life’ ( 1996, 2025 reissue) - April 15, 2025
- Nels Cline – ‘Consentrik Quartet’ (2025) - March 31, 2025
- Seth Walker, “Why The Worry,” from ‘Why The Worry,’ (2025): Sneak peek - March 28, 2025
