pop with intensity

Radio Station Wagon (Shanachie)

Gravity's Pull

By Kory Wilcoxson

Gravity's Pull could very well be the best musical group of relatives since the Partridge Family, and I bet these guys have a cooler manager.

The band is made up of the Ivanitches — Mark, Sue, Nick and Mike — and Ma and Pa Ivanitch have reason to be proud. This North Carolina group is impressive, crafting pop melodies infused with a few extra notches of intensity.

Sue and Mark share vocal duties, and their styles mesh well together. Mark has a Frank Black quality to his pipes, belting out high energy tunes such as "Abuser," which is definitely radio friendly, and "Not a Love Song." Sue counters his power with her finesse, deftly handling "I Come Alive" and "Little Girl Blue."

Gravity's Pull also shows it has the wisdom to poke fun at their own profession in "Radio Wasteland" and "Everybody's Rock & Roll Star." Having a self-effacing sense of humor is a big bonus for this band, who how tons of promise that is only partially tapped here.