Reviews

The Frequency EP is a relatively solid sounding EP. For those of you aren’t familiar with PlayRadioPlay!, he is Dan Hunter. Dan writes, produces, and records PlayRadioPlay! himself in its entirety. Island/Stolen Transmission Records picked him up in November 2006 after his MySpace generated millions of hits and, from what I hear, quite the buzz.
 
It sounds like Hunter produced the hell out of every song. It’s unfortunate, however, that “Compliment Each other Like Colors” and  “Confines of Gravity” sound like the exact styles we might hear from Hellogoodbye or The Postal Service. While they sound great and are fun to listen to, I’d much rather hear Ben Gibbard sing it.
 
This is a really catchy, uplifting release but I just can’t seem to categorize it. The style ultimately lacks originality, which is disappointing because it holds such promise. For the most part, the mix is decent, but there are some big things I think most producers would change. Dan has an appealing voice, and in the beginning of “Compliment Each other Like Colors,” he really seems to commit to it. In the rest of the song, the music completely overtakes the vocals. I really think that if he were to tweak little things (like raising the vocals in that particular song a little bit), this release would’ve been much better. He has a lot of talent, but a little feedback from a seasoned producer could’ve helped a lot on this one.
 
The Frequency EP ends with a cover of The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” that falls short of expectation. Though the music fits, there’s just something that doesn’t sound right in the way he chose to sing it. Maybe it would sound better if he sped up the tempo a little bit.
 
PlayRadioPlay! has obvious potential for the future. I think a small amount of growing up is necessary before we hear the best of Dan Hunter.  I’m absolutely looking forward to the full length due out sometime mid-fall…five originals isn’t quite enough, and something tells me we’re all in store for a real improvement.