Do yourself a favour and check these guys out.
If you’re good enough hard work does eventually pay off. Just ask Soulicit. They’ve been around for ten years and have largely slipped under the radar, primarily due to being unsigned and therefore with no recognisable profile, alongside being a tiny fish in a very large ocean that constitutes the USA. But after inking a deal with Thermal Entertainment and having this, their debut album released some time ago, they’ve since played at the prestigious Rocklahoma festival held in Pryor, Oklahoma (natch) and their debut single/video was played at this year’s Superbowl (That’s how to get noticed!) and has since gone on to be syndicated on a number of network radio stations across the States.
Coming across as a mix of Nickelback, Daughtry, and Shinedown with a sprinkling of Creed, Soulicit play catchy songs laced with sizzling grooves and driving riffs held down by a strong backline that’s clinical and unfussy. Vocalist Darick Parson has that Chad Kroeger intonation coupled with Eddie Vedder’s baritone stylings and growls and it’s criminal he’s been hidden from the wider general public all these years. With an ace production by Brett Hestla who’s also worked with Creed, hence the comparisons as he’s captured the same vibe, and as Creed also headlined the main stage at Rocklahoma on the same day that Soulicit played at the festival, their music has a real soulful and organic projection as a result.
Debut single and lead-off track ‘Hell Yeah’ is a short but incisive driving rocker, a perfect single length to garner them the attention to get them noticed. ‘Beauty Queen’ is riding on the coat-tails of Nickelback whilst the title track ‘Parking Lot Rockstar’ has an Ugly Kid Joe vibe amidst the Daughtry posing. If you’re after something a little more refined to slow the pace down a bit then second single and semi-ballad ‘Complicated’ has all the right ingredients nestled in its composition giving a very definite nod towards Nickelback’s ‘Photograph’ (play them back to back and see what I mean). With driving powerful rockers such as ‘Blow Me Away’ and the groove-laden driving riffs of ‘Too Cold To Pray’ there is plenty to get your tail wagging and with catchy melodic choruses contained in the likes of ‘You Are The Song’ and ‘Sticks And Stones’ you have bonafide lyrics swimming around your head for days like Goldfish stuck in a polythene fairground bag.
Former guitarist/vocalist Dan Weaver has been replaced by a guy called ‘Roll’ and Andrew Weaver (his brother?), who handled bass and vocals has been replaced by Kevin Parrow but with the fabulous vocal harmonies on closer ‘Time To Fly’ it looks like they were adequately compensated for in that department. Drummer Trent Boehner has maintained the link with vocalist Darick Parson and holds down a steady uncomplicated beat throughout with no frills but keeping that American hard driving effervescent flavour that’s so in vogue these days.
Do yourself a favour and check these guys out. You won’t be disappointed!
Carl Buxton
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