THE DRIVER ERA, comprised of brothers Ross and Rocky Lynch, may look familiar to those of you who grew up watching Disney Channel. Ross acted in Austin & Ally and Teen Beach Movie; now he’s gone from portraying a musician to actually being one.
This isn’t the Lynchs’ first time on the music scene; they were originally part of the band R5, which was made up of four of the Lynch siblings and their family friend Ellington Ratliff, but it fell apart in 2018. Ross and Rocky then moved onto their new project and released their first album in 2019. In total, they have released four albums – X, Girlfriend, Summer Mixtape, and Can’t Believe She Got Away.
What’s unique about THE DRIVER ERA is that they don’t collaborate with anyone, meaning their style is completely their own. By combining the raspy, electric beats of alternative rock with the peppy, synth sounds of pop they create an almost hypnotic style of music. While there are elements of the 2000s pop that Ross initially got his start in, their music style has definitely matured into something that is more applicable in the modern music industry.
Their first album, X, features some elements of indie rock with more acoustic guitar and laid-back vocals. While this is obviously different from their present style, this is part of why THE DRIVER ERA is so appealing; they aren’t limited to one rigid style of music. The intros on this album are longer and there is a larger emphasis on the instrumentation and how it leads into the music. If you’re a fan of indie rock, I definitely recommend this album for you.
Summer Mixtape combines the hypnotic, confident sound of the Lynch brothers and incorporates the good vibes of summer. This album does lean more towards the pop side, as it is essentially supposed to represent summer. It also incorporates techno elements, with pop of electric guitar and synth backtracks.
Girlfriend definitely marks a departure from the indie pop side of things and segues into Can’t Believe She Got Away with techno backtracks, funky sound effects, and more confident vocals. The electric guitar skills make their full debut in this album, showing off slick string arrangements that blend in with prominent percussion and edgier backtracks. Songs from these two albums are similar in style and I consider them a great representation of THE DRIVER ERA style.
My Top Ten:
- “Same Old Story” (Can’t Believe She Got Away)
- “You Keep Me Up At Night” (Can’t Believe She Got Away)
- “Nobody Knows” (X)
- “Don’t Take The Night” (Can’t Believe She Got Away)
- “Heaven Angel” (Girlfriend)
- “Malibu” (Summer Mixtape)
- “Touch” (Can’t Believe She Got Away)
- “Preacher Man” (X)
- “Scared of Heights” (X)
- “Low” (X)
For fans of Aidan Bissett, R5, Benson Boone, and Thomas Day.
