Escape Directors

One of the Best Bands of 2010 - Q104.3

A gorgeous narrative with luscious visuals to match the pensive tune. - PureVolume.com

Helping me ring in the new year here on Tight Mix this week is a very tight band that has been on my radar for months now. Escape Directors is Steve Carter (@SteveCarterMus), Colin Reiser, Nick Wilson, and Brendon Bigley. These dudes are all from northern New Jersey (where I’m at), and I’ve actually had the pleasure of playing a charity show with them in mid-2010.




Ladders is 100% free to download and share, and comes loaded with nine powerful rock/pop songs. The first time I heard Steve Carter’s voice I was instantly reminded me of Rob Thomas (Matchbox Twenty), and the instrumentals just ooze early Coldplay-ness. They actually did a fantastic cover of Coldplay’s recent holiday song, “Christmas Lights.” What the hell, I’ll include it here for you to check out. It’s that good.



“Chicago” quickly became my favorite song on the album. It sounds a bit different than the rest of the songs, and in a good way because it seemed to break up the album nicely to help change up the pace and keep me interested. Another thing I was very happy with is that the album wasn’t too ballad heavy, which can happen a lot in the pop/rock genre. - TightMixBlog.com

The Escape Directors have an indie-vibe like Death Cab For Cutie throughout their songwriting, but their sound leans more towards the commercial feel of The Fray. It is a combination that should appeal to a wide audience, pleasing fans of independent and popular music alike. Escape Directors consists of Steve Carter (vocals, guitars, piano), Colin Rieser (drums, vocals), Nick Wilson (piano, keyboards, guitars, vocals), and Andrew Magrini (bass).

The new CD is "Ladders", and it is a short and sweet 9-song affair lasting a little more than a half hour. But within those thirty minutes or so, "Ladders" climbs to great heights and showcases a band of considerable talent that has the ability to produce a very slick record with a contemporary sound. There is a boatload of talent in this band and the songs contain layers of acoustic and electric guitars, piano and keyboards, and stirring strings. The songs were more attractive on the second spin as the hooks started to sink in, but among the more instantly memorable were the driving opener "Car Crash", the powerful, angst-ridden "Honest Man", and the mid-tempo ballad "Fall Together". And while I am glad the CD is not too ballad heavy, the Escape Directors have excellent instincts here, the best example being "When You're Gone", a very moving piece that features one of the most stunning vocal performances on the record.

With "Ladders", these boys from New Jersey calling themselves the Escape Directors prove that they mean business, and make an impressive addition to modern pop rock. - Bill's Music Forum

If you're on the lookout for a fresh, new indie-pop band putting out a solid sound; then the Escape Directors may just be for you. Their debut album, Ladders, features a wide array of solid tracks, with feelings of inspiration from bands such as Coldplay and The Fray. At thirty-three minutes, the album may not be the longest out there, but it perfectly portrays just who the Escape Directors are; a band that needs to be known.

Car Crash opens up the album strong, and showcases the band's talent right from the get-go. Other memorable tracks include the powerful'Honest Man', the acoustic driven ballad 'When You're Gone' (which features a stunning vocal performance), and Mrs. Davenport, which will leave it's catchy chorus stuck in your head for quite some time. The album closes with two solid tracks: Margaret Marion, a piano-driven ballad which is one of my personal favorite tracks on the album, and the closing track, Take Me Back Home, which displays the band's stirring songwriting technique.

All in all, Ladders is an album that for the most part, does everything right, and will only improve with each new listen. As a debut album, these boys know what they're doing, and deserve a listen. - SweetTunez!