Total Album Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Disney is known for making superstars that have looks, great voices, acting chops, and squeaky-clean personalities. The newest group to come out of the money-making machine is R5, the Lynch family band from Littleton, Colorado. R5 consists of siblings Rocky, Riker, Rydel, Ross, and a family friend named Ellington Ratliff.
Each member of the band uses his or her own musical talent instead of auto tune, unlike many other recent Disney stars. Rocky plays lead guitar, Riker is on bass, Rydel plays piano, Ross is the lead singer, and Ratliff is the drummer.
In addition to being in R5, Ross and Riker have acquired some fame of their own. Riker plays a “Warbler” on the Golden Globe winning show “Glee,” while Ross plays Austin Moon on Disney’s newest hit sitcom, “Austin and Ally.” Using the success from his TV show, Ross obtained a record deal with Hollywood Records in 2012 for the band.
The best song on the EP is the title song “Loud,” with its upbeat and fun tone. “I Want You Bad” had better lyrics than “Loud,” but simply didn’t have the same catchiness as “Loud.” However, R5 has many other good songs that didn’t make this album, which was a little disappointing since they play the unreleased songs frequently at their gigs. Songs such as “What Do I Have to Do,” “Crazy 4 U,” “All about the Girl,” and “Say You’ll Stay” would have been great additions.
All of R5’s songs do have interesting themes and unique lyrics, but they still have some work to do before they truly make it big like past Disney phenomena Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers. Nonetheless, with a vibe that doesn’t quite fit Disney’s usual cookie-cutter bubblegum pop sound, R5’s first EP, “Loud,” makes them a band that’s bound to be successful in 2013.
Here is my rating of the tracks:
1. “Loud”- 4 stars
2. “Fallin’ For You”- 3.5 stars
3. “I Want You Bad”- 3 stars
4. “Here Comes Forever”- 3.5 stars
To promote their new songs, R5 will bring the “Loud Tour” to Baltimore at Rams Head Live on April 25.