Raised on TV is a modern rock band from the Los Angeles area that was formed in 2015. I hadn’t heard of the band until they actually DM’d me on Twitter to reach out about a new single; I was stoked to get the message, and even more stoked after listening to their new single. I figured tonight would be a good night to give one of their albums a listen. This album, Season 2 (2020), is the group’s second album, which is the follow up to their debut album, Season 1 (2017); the group has only released those two studio albums to-date, but they’ve also released an EP as well as many singles. The group had a sort of modern, jangly garage rock/surf-inflected sound in the single I checked out earlier today, so I’m pretty stoked to give this album a listen. With that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Soul on Fire” starts out with some really flavorful guitar that almost has a bit of a psychedelic feel at first, set to a super strong beat. Oh wow, I’m really digging this track so far. The track has a sort of indie rock sound with some very pleasant harmonies in the vocals, with a vague sort of surf rock reverb to the instrumentation. I’m really digging this track a lot so far. The chorus has a super driven feeling that really gets me amped up, with a particular feel that’s almost like speeding down a highway chasing the sunset. Holy smokes, this guitar solo has absolutely hooked my ears with some super sweet licks. The chorus almost has a sort of punk-pop sound reminiscent of the early 2000s. Great track, and I’m excited to hear more.
Oh wow, “Steal My Heart Away” starts out with some mean-sounding guitar that sort of evokes a surf rock-inflected punk-pop sound. Oh wow, the guitar and vocals really mellow out for the verse, while the drums and bass seem to keep that momentum grooving forward nicely. Holy smokes, this guitar solo has absolutely pulled my ears almost too close to my speakers as I continually get reeled in. I really dig the distortion in the guitars in this track. Wow, great tune.
“Where the Sun Goes” starts out with some sweet guitar chords that almost have a bit of a math rock sound at first. I really dig the bass line in this track, as the deep, low notes really almost provide a wave for the rest of the instrumentation to ride on. The chorus of the track is super catchy, and I’m digging the sound a ton. This strikes me as a song ripe for radio play, though I’m not sure if it’s received much. Oh wow, the chorus hits some absolutely filled-with-flavor notes that has me making strange faces as I continue listening. Holy smokes, there are some super sweet drum fills in this track. Oh wow, the outro really ties the song together nicely. Great track.
“Don’t Look Down” starts out with some super intriguing notes and a seemingly complex structure between a dynamic bass line, strong beat, and some super interesting guitar work that almost reminds me of some sort of punk-pop version of the Resident Evil theme. The bass line in this is super sweet, and reminds me a bit of Mike Watt from the Minutemen. The energy in this track seems to continually build on itself, almost as if the band is leading you up an increasingly steep hill. I really dig the reverb on the vocals at the end of the track. Great tune.
Oh wow, “Caroline” sort of continues on the melody from the previous track, but takes the song into a sort of darker, somewhat grittier territory at first. Oh wow, the song mellows out for the verse, almost as if the band is shrouding something in mystery to continually get me more interested in what’s next. Oh wow, the guitar has some super interesting effects that I’m really digging. It’s not a thing anymore (as far as I know), but Raised on TV definitely could have been a great band for Van’s Warped Tour, which I was fortunate enough to attend before it stopped. Super sweet track.
“Fall” begins with some super interesting guitar that almost has a bit of melancholic, sort of jangling feel to it. Holy smokes, there are some super interesting effects from what sounds to be a synthesizer or a keyboard of some sort for a moment. There’s a sort of dark moodiness in the soundscape that gives way to a sort of etherial movement that nearly gives the impression that you’re floating in the sea. Holy smokes, I really dig the guitar work in this track; there’s one lick just before a chorus in the track that almost has a bit of a raga-eseque sound. I really dig the big guitar chords in the track as well, which seem to keep things grooving along nicely. Great track.
Oh wow, “Smog City” starts out with some super flavorful guitar work with a nice, crunchy distortion that I’m really digging. Oh wow, this song has the sort of dark undertone that reminds me a lot of the psychedelic rock bands from Los Angeles in the 1960s like The Doors or The Other Half, except this is song is presented in a sort of punk-pop, alternative rock sort of manner. Oh wow, the vocals in the chorus are super sweet. Oh wow, there’s a really groovy layering to the vocals too that I’m just noticing as the track nears the end. Great tune.
“Lack of a Better Word” starts out with some mellow, somewhat jangly, math rock-sounding guitar chords, which is soon followed by a super sweet in the drums. Holy smokes, there’s a super sweet strumming of an acoustic guitar and what sounds to be a piano that both add a ton of sweetness to the soundscape. The song seems to take a somewhat darker turn as the verses continue along, and as the song reaches the chorus some really flavorful, melodic distortion is added that somehow brings a bit of an edge to the soundscape while simultaneously sweetening the soundscape nicely. Oh wow, there’s a really sweet instrumental bridge that seems to mellow out until all of the instrumentation fades away. Oh wow, after a few moments of silence, some really interesting instrumentation comes in that almost sounds like there’s a bit of a reversed effect with all of the reverberation and airy drums. Wow, super sweet track, and a super sweet way to finish up the album.
Wow, this album is super sweet, and I’m stoked that the band DM’d me on Twitter earlier today. I’m a really big fan of when artists reach out about their music, and this time it ended up with me having a really enjoyable listening experience tonight. There were a nice medley of sounds that reminded me at times of surf rock or even some psychedelic rock from Los Angeles in the 1960s with the reverberation and certain feelings throughout the listening experience, while the band seemed to have a sort of jangly alternative rock sound that veered towards pop-punk a lot of the time. If you’re a fan of pop-punk groups from the early and mid 2000s, or if you were a fan of Van’s Warped Tour at all, then you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A