RADAR is the new album by Detroit-adjacent power pop masters Extra Arms. They named their record after bass player Ryan Marshall’s dog. He’s a very good boy. The dog, we mean. But so is Ryan.
RADAR — the album — is also a very good boy. It’s 10 songs of melodic, catchy rock that jumps all over the stylistic map. Sometimes you’ll hear ragtag Replacements-style abandon, while other spots show off a love for Guided By Voices’ to-the-point pop perfection. Elsewhere, there’s hints of sharp, 60s garage rock that nudge up against punky bursts of energy indebted to the Nerves, the Buzzcocks and early Elvis Costello. You’ll also hear synth-and-drum-machine nods to the Cars, the shifty shuffle of Thin Lizzy, and the muscular riffage of Cheap Trick. There’s even a wistful country song, featuring pedal steel and all. And don’t get us started on the E-Street saxophones, triumphant trumpets, banging cowbells, fuzzy Farfisa organs, and abundance of handclaps (so many handclaps). We could go on and on, but just know this: It fucking rocks.
The genesis of RADAR started in the spring of 2023 when the band — Ryan Allen (vocals, guitar), Ryan Marshall (bass), Daniel Stover (drums), and Jordan Wright (guitar) — were finally able to focus on writing new songs…together. In the same room. With loud instruments behind them. You see, there was this pandemic thing that happened in 2020 that made it impossible to do a lot of things; in 2021 the band worked on their last album (2022’s What Is Even Happening Right Now?, released on Forge Again Records) mostly remote, sending files and sketches to one another over the internet. It was fine and the album turned out great, but there’s nothing like getting in a musty, dark basement, turning up to 11 and jamming out with your buds.
Indeed, after one listen, you can tell how collaborative the songs really are. All four members (including new guitarist Wright, who joined in August 2022) shared ideas, suggestions, critiques, and feedback to create a cohesive yet varied collection of concise rockers, injected with the style and tastes of the group. You’ll hear Stover’s propulsive, punk-y drumming dancing alongside Marshall’s tasteful and direct basslines, with Allen’s steady guitar jangle propelled by Wright’s dexterous shredding. It’s all tied together by Allen’s raspy, emotive tenor, spinning tales about everything from imposter syndrome and remaining relevant while aging in music to the MAGA cult, the party days of his youth, and his life now as an (unconventional) family man. Underneath it all you can hear Allen grappling with the idea of time passing; listen close enough and you’ll catch references to ticking clocks, things disappearing, time being precious, time being needed, times being missed, time moving forward, and ultimately, time stopping one day. It’s the kind of stuff you sing about when you’re still making music in your early 40s.
RADAR was recorded and engineered in Ann Arbor, MI at Big Sky Studios by Geoff Michael (Nick Piunti, The City Lines, The Hard Lessons), with the band recording together, live in the room. It was mixed and mastered by Paul Miner (Fear, Thrice, Joyce Manor, Touché Amore) at Buzzbomb Studios in Orange, CA. It was produced by Ryan Allen, sometimes in the studio but sometimes sitting on his couch. It comes out this spring on Settewind Records (Morning Eagle, Normal, Silktail, Moral Pollution). Put it on your radar, won’t you?
Extra Arms is:
Ryan Allen - vocals, guitar, keys, percussion (drums and bass on track 6)
Ryan Marshall - bass
Daniel Stover - drums
Jordan Wright - guitar
With guests:
Jessi Dills - trumpet (track 3)
Paul Miner - vocals (track 5, track 6)
Dave Feeny - pedal steel (track 6)
AJ Sherman - voice (track 7)
Matt Jones - saxophone (track 10)
Label: Setterwind Records
Press contact: Tim Anderl @ Sweet Cheetah PR
For booking email the band