Pete Palladino
Sweet Siren of the Reconnected (P&P Records)
By: Alex Steininger
Pete Palladino, the former lead singer/songwriter of The Badlees, has stepped out on his own, with the oft inevitable, all-too-common solo album. Without a band, many creative minds have dried up, delivering sub par performances while assuming everyone is going to love their pretentious-as-hell record because of who they were, not what they are now.Fortunately for us, the listener, Pete Palladino avoids this trap, creating a pop masterpiece that trades off between semi-lush pop compositions and heartwarming pop rock nuggets.
"Complicated Choreography," one of the standout tracks on this album, is a breezy, feel-good pop vibe, led by Palladino's warm voice and vibrant, refreshing songwriting skills. Accompanied by the rhythm acoustic guitar, which leads the band, the slow, simmering number settles in while taking you on a trip of pleasure in your mind. "Time Honored Tradition" is a blast of power-pop, jangly guitars, and a bouncy rhythm that gets you up and out of your seat, bopping and moving along to the sugary hooks and undeniably friendliness of Palladino and his songs.
"Home At Last" will have you singing along, absorbing the golden melodies and fun, lively rock. "What A Difference A Year Makes" blares the guitars loud and proud, rocking you out with plenty of push behind the song. And "4th of July" shows you that Palladino isn't afraid to get a bit psychedelic as he reaches down and delivers a full-charged, burning rocker.
Palladino lacks from none of the common solo symptoms, allowing a full band to flush out his songs and bring them to life as he cranks out genuine pop hits, warm and friendly, and quite addictive. I'll give it an A.
