When you’re a musician from the hometown of Bruce Springsteen, nobody is surprised when the Boss is cited as a major influence in your work. For Brian K. Pagels, who performs as Brian K and the Parkway along with Stephen Russ, it’s not that simple, however.
Russ, who Columbia audiences may remember from his work producing The Restoration and his own act The Fire Tonight, now calls Arlington, Virginia home, while Pagels lives in Alexandria; the George Washington Parkway that connects their towns is where the band’s name originated.
There are rousing stadium-worthy anthems on this new album, but more often he’s drawing from the Americana and power pop progeny of Tom Petty, Drivin’ N’ Cryin,’ and Marshall Crenshaw.
“Just Rock & Roll” hits as one of those poppier tunes, somewhere between Elvis Costello and The Smithereens with a catchy chorus and classic 60s vibe, while “Wind the Clock” takes a moodier tune into a more modern sound that wouldn’t sound out of place between John Mayer and Hozier.
Pagels isn’t a demonstrative singer, but the themes he touches on–problems and how to cope with them, detailed in striking lyrical vignettes set to expansive tunes–lend themselves to his emphatic, unhurried delivery. “Is The Grass Really Greener (In the Green Mountain State)” comes across like a lost Drive-By Truckers track circa Southern Rock Opera while invoking biblical plagues in a tale of getting the hell out of town, for better or worse.
Cat Popper, who’s worked with Jack White, Ryan Adams & the Cardinals and others, guests on “Straight Through,” serving as a vocal foil in what turns out to be the most Springsteen-like tune on the album. A “doo-doot-doo” Motown style chorus, a bridge that echoes “Born To Run” era Bruce, and a quiet solo intro a la “The River,” it’s all there. Popper’s verses expose the vulnerability of the lyric, “The only way out of the darkness is straight through,” pointing to “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” as a retroactive solution, perhaps.
The best rock music can function both as a recorded statement and a live expression; just listening to these tracks offers a hint at the emotional, visceral impact they’ll have in a live setting. Pagels and Russ will be hitting the road in support of the release, with a stop in Columbia scheduled for April 26th at Curiosity Coffee; the show will also feature Moses Andrews and a special guest appearance from former Restoration bandleader Daniel Machado.
Find them on Bandcamp and find the event details on Facebook.