Posted: May 10th, 2009
Contributed By: Nick

	Purchase @ Amazon.com Release Date: May 12th, 2009 via Roadrunner
	Steadlur is: Philip Steadlur (Vocals) Tommy Steadlur (Guitar) Daniel Steadlur (Bass) Dallas Steadlur (Drums)

Overview: In May 2007 I attended a City Sleeps (R.I.P. L) show in Atlanta. Because I was so jived to see City Sleeps, I failed to check out the night’s opening bands in advance. So I’m standing backstage waiting for the direct support band to go on, and out of one of the green rooms came four scruffy long-haired dudes dressed in all white. They called themselves Steadlur and I couldn’t help but chuckle at their hokey get-up and unkempt hair-dos. But Steadlur hit the stage gunnin’, turning the crowd inside out and thoroughly impressing me. I remember turning to my friend Katherine about halfway through Steadlur’s set and declaring, “These guys are gonna get signed one day soon.” By Christmas time, Steadlur were officially added to the Roadrunner Records roster. The guys shipped off to Alabama to work on their debut with producer Jason Elgin (Haste, Lynam), completing twelve tracks for the effort. Steadlur’s self-titled first album is set to impact on May 12. Call your local rock station and request their first single “Bumpin’”.

The Good: Steadlur waste no time getting down to business, popping the tops and encouraging tops to come off with their take on the party rock revival. “Poison” ain’t nothin’ but a good time, giving you plenty to believe in after hearing the thunderous cut. Aptly titled, first single “Bumpin’” grooves on a thumping techno beat, growing progressively catchier with each listen. Steadlur wed Aaron Lewis’ lyrical concepts from Staind’s album ‘Break the Cycle‘ to the sugarcoated effervescence of Butch Walker and The All-American Rejects on “My Mom Hates Me”, a straightforward track that could come out of nowhere and become an anthem for angst-ridden pre-teens. To best enjoy the surging and hulky “Turn It Up” simply follow its command and let this peak-of-the-party romp take care of the rest. My pick for the second single, “It’s Too Late” is bustling and determined, and front-man Philip Steadlur’s proximity to both Stacy Jones of American Hi-Fi and Shim Moore of Sick Puppies is gleefully realized in full. “Whisky and Women” probably needs no explanation; however this tune is as attentive to dynamics as it is sleazy and uninhibited. The song sports my favorite lyric from ‘Steadlur‘, it reads “You keep your secrets from me/In a bottle under the sink.” Steadlur will shock you with “Angel (On The Wrong Side of Town)”, a ballad that is extremely well-executed and, thankfully, doesn’t ape on arena rock posturing. “Time” is solid from front to back, a healthy and balanced dose of equal parts atmospheric verses, stomping choruses, and reflective lyrics. “Suffocate” is emblazoned with deep harmonies and guttural melodies, armed with the record’s most searing, and awesome bridge. Arguably the ugly duckling of ‘Steadlur‘, “Suffocate” will steadily grow on you, becoming one of your favorites in time. No, “Barely Breathing” is not a Duncan Sheik cover- that woulda been cool eh?-but this kicking tune does more than enough to satisfy; Disciple fans will eat this shit up. ‘Steadlur‘ closes the curtains with “Change” a soaring, spirited, and whimsical ride through personal discovery that serves as Steadlur’s most passionate hour.

The Bad: There’s a good bit of good on ‘Steadlur‘ but there’s a good bit of bad too, which, at times, is really bad. From the top, “Bumpin’” certainly has enough momentum as a single to generate a buzz. However the track copycats fragments of Oleander’s song “Jimmy Shaker Day”, which are lazily masked by ho-hum call-and-response gang vocals that sound as tired as this all-too familiar rock chorus songwriting strategy has become in recent time. I was certainly impressed by how genuine the ballad “Angel (On The Wrong Side of Town)” turned out. I must admit though that the song often sounds like Steadlur took a b-side from the last Three Days Grace album and simply added some brushstrokes to the original design. The chorus of “Time” steals one from the book of Atreyu’s ‘The Curse’, specifically the chorus of “Right Side of the Bed”. I couldn’t even get through more than half a minute of “Livin’ a Lie”, an audio train-wreck of syrupy mid-tempo sluggishness and painful caterwauling from vocalist Dallas about the hardships of relationships; boy, sign me up for that one. For a band whose niche is carved from the “livin’ it up, not givin’ a fuck” rockstar life, I’m perplexed as to why a bulk of Steadlur’s lyrical themes are so downtrodden, most specifically in regards to the reoccurring parental bashing. I thought we had moved on from this but apparently Steadlur are hell-bent on bringing household rage back to the forefront. Call me old fashioned, but I don’t think I could ever, ever take stabs at my mother the way Steadlur do almost proudly; c’mon, it’s your mom man. In the big scheme of things, ‘Steadlur‘ just feels weird and somewhat rigid at times, an obvious distraction from the brouhaha core of Steadlur’s intent. There’s also too much going on, too many forays into other genres that not only sound unfamiliar but simply don’t make any sense.

Bottomline: I really, really expected Steadlur’s debut to be a walloping beast of a record, especially after witnessing their intense live show. But dammit this album disappoints and in a huge way. I didn’t like most of what I heard after two complete roundtrips but I let my denial reign and thought several more listens would shine some light through the clouds. Sadly, this has yet to happen, and I’m currently wading through my seventh spin of ‘Steadlur‘ hoping something will stick. However the only thing that seems to be stuck is Steadlur, the fouls of their own party.

TuneLab Rating: 3 out of 10