Returning home from touring often allows artists to relax and recover, but after the pandemic cut short a 2020 tour, vocalist and guitarist Dylan Bradley jumped into writing and recording new material for a new project.
With the songs coming to fruition quickly, Dylan began working with drummer Michael Brown and bassist Eoghan Donegan and Parker was born.
On forming, Dylan says
Michael and I are huge fans of bands like Blink 182. It’s how we initially met when we were teenagers as we were both looking to jam with people that liked Blink, so it was very important to us to have some songs that were inspired by their sound on the record.
With the pandemic behind them, Parker toured relentlessly, honing their sound before they jumped into the studio with producer Cahir O’Doherty and engineer Allan McGreevy in January 2022.
Parker’s sound might have been influenced by their shared bond and like for Blink 182, and while their sound could be heard as an homage to the pop punk trio, that’s where it stops. Unlike their inspiration, Never Let this Go is 10 tracks of pure, unadulterated, infectious rock.
Lead track, “Never Miss” has a thundering bass riff that is chef’s kiss and songs like “Problems”, “Ride On”, and “Let’s Not” are fast and furious punk rock fun.
Midway through the album, “Superhero” harkens back to late 90’s and early 00’s rock like that of The Offspring, Taking Back Sunday, and Jimmy Eat World.
Stand out track, “Ruin My Life” takes me back to my Warped Tour days. The vocals have just the right amount of rasp, the bass is thundering, the guitar wails, and the drums create a song that you can dance or mosh to.
Continuing the late 90’s and early 00’s vibe, “Ucluelet”, about a small town on the west coast of Canada would have been a radio hit back in the day. I can’t speak about radio today as I haven’t listened to an actual radio station for at least eight years now.
The love for Canada, or at least inspiration from Canada, continues with the closing track, “Vancouver”.
On the song Dylan says,
It’s about things not working out how you thought they would. It’s a song about your hopes and dreams crashing down around you and about reality checks. It’s not a very pleasant subject but it’s something that a lot of people deal with. It’s the only proper ‘slow song’ on the album and I feel like it’s a fitting if somewhat sad way to say goodbye to the record, but I like sad songs and I like sad movies, so it works for me!
Parker delivers infectious and heartfelt rock with Never Let this Go.
MUST LISTEN TRACKS: “Ruin My Life”, “Ucluelet”, “Never MIss”, “Vancouver”
FAVOURITE TRACKS: “Ruin My Life”, “Vancouver”
