This is a short and sweet demo, but Ventura Drive certainly show enough to suggest they’re on the right lines. The Colchester crew sound like the now defunct Noise Ratchet and the they-were-so-much-better-with-Jason-Gleeson-as-the-vocalist Further Seems Forever. Getting John Mitchell (FFAF, Hiding With Girls) to handle production duties on their debut is an inspired move, making the three tracks on this record stand out amongst the pack of salivating bands, waiting to pick up a scrap of interest from an assortment of labels and zines.
The trio of tracks on here don’t offer anything particularly new, but what the band do they do very well indeed. The vocals are note-perfect, stretching the range to make the songs stand out from the pack. If anything they do perhaps lack a couple of memorable choruses which would ultimately take them to the next level, but for a band that I don’t think has been going too long, songs like ‘Try As I Might’ show a lot of promise. It’s difficult to gauge future success on three songs, but I’d certainly like to hear more – and that can only be a good thing.
www.venturadrive.com
Paul