Artist: "Common Rider"
Album: "This Is Unity Music"
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label: Hopeless Records

Reviewer: 10,000 Volt Ghost (Forum Profile)
Posted: 1/11/2010

Review: "This is Unity Music" is the second and final album from Common Rider. Fronted by Jesse Michaels from Operation Ivy fame, he brings the same excess amount of energy from his previous band, but now with talent. On this album, he keeps a similar reggae/ska/rock mix with a far more polished sound to the power trio style. Two things that really stand out while listening are the vocals and lyrics. The vocals can come across smooth and silky or gritty as paper made from sand. The lyrics are usually profound, poetic, poignant or just a lyrical high-five. Sometimes it almost sounds like a rap because of the rapid fire way he sings:

"Truth be told you're at least half gold
I love ya like a dog loves to run and ramble
Make the brook babble and let the bell ring
Don't let the action of factual things fracture your casual swing"

Taken from the second song "Small Pebble," this line just sounds extremely sexy if nothing else. Clocking in at roughly half an hour of music over 12 songs, it might seem a bit short, but you can definitely listen to it multiple times (or days) in a row. In fact, I recommend it... I drive a lot and still buy CDs regularly, so if I’m going someplace short, even to and from work it’s a perfect length. Also, all the songs are really, really catchy.

If you like ska-influenced rock, but hate everyone else who listens to it too, this is the album for you. Not many people know about this band and they already dismantled, so you're in the clear to indulge without feeling guilty. Here's a sample for you to enjoy:

Overall rating:
(Scored on a 0.5 - 5 pickles rating: 0.5 being the worst and 5 being the best)