Tobias Bader, originally from Berlin and now residing in Amsterdam, creates retro-inspired pop music infused with evident influences from the 1960s and 1970s. He fuses various pop music genres, spanning from acoustic, folk, and country to soul, disco, rock, and punk. On his latest album, “Speed of Light”, he takes us on a beautiful road trip of sounds. Keep reading for my thoughts!
The 5-song EP’s opener, is the title track, “Speed Of Light”; coming at you with an unmistakable Roaring 80s sound, bringing many, many good memories to mind flashing right back. Tobias’ voice is the star of the show here, with all of the other instruments only bringing the polish up even further on this song. The guitars and the drums remind me of artists like Prince and U2– with some subtle AC/DC elements thrown in there for good measure as well. There is a charm to this style, this era of music that I resonate with deeply, and as we segue into the second song, “Rock My Planet”, the good vibes only keep coming in waves!
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“Rock My Planet” is what I would imagine blaring in my speakers as I hop into a 1960s Mustang, eating up highways at speeds the Autobahn wouldn’t scoff at; but before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s talk about the infectious energy that “Speed of Light” has managed to have so far, with no intent of slowing down (heh, pun). The solo on “Rock My Planet” is the icing on the cake, and it makes for an eagerly waiting me, as we move to “Ice Crystals”– a song that takes a little bit more of a punk rock approach to the drumming and the vocals, helped by a rather sweet sounding brass section that permeates parts of the song.
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The infectious energy of the song continues into the guitars, too, holding their own in the hooks and the harmonies, with the solo coming in midway just egging you on to put the pedal to the metal, like “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd does; and that is not at all a facetious comparison; it really is that good.
As we bring the album to a wrap with the closer, “Secret”, we’re presented with a rather pleasantly surprising departure from the aesthetic that “Speed Of Light” has had so far– but, it’s a great number in every way. The soft classic rock sound is what I would imagine playing softly in the background, as I hum myself a melody, a Cuban in hand; and the album in general, with its cinematic, strong focus on melodic storytelling only drive that narrative harder. Two thumbs up, easily!
Check out “Speed of Light” by Tobias Bader here:
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