Watermelon

Description

Watermelon is an album by the American indierock band Driver Eight, released on Tooth & Nail Records in June 1996. The album was produced and recorded by Armand John Petri at The Green Room in Huntington Beach, California; October 1995. Mixed by Petri and Andy Blunda at Fradonia, Buffalo.

Oh no! Not another gloomy shoe-gazing alternative band! Although they threaten to over-populate the Christian rock scene at any moment, Driver 8 rises above the cockroach-like infestation of the scene to deserve a second (and third, etc.) listen. The band, a sometime trio/sometime quartet, is fronted by Matt McCartie. His name may be familiar to listeners of ‘Fall on Your World‘ by The Throes (for whom McCartie drummed and contributed songs) as well as from tracks which ended up on The Throes’ ‘12 Before 9‘, and ‘Alaska Days‘, by another D.C.-area band, Poole.

Well, it seems McCartie really wanted to see his songwriting voice come to the fore, as well as his guitar and vocal abilities. So, not long after getting back to Biola University last year, he pulled together some buds to form Driver 8. And Tooth & Nail reportedly snatched up the band after hearing only one performance. The final link in the chain was acclaimed producer Armand John Petri, who has helped Sixpence None the Richer become one of the most exciting modern rock acts currently on the scene. Petri seems to have worked that same magic with Driver 8, by taking McCartie’s often dour worldview and dressing it up with some classy riffs that sometimes ring British and sometimes echo “Left Coast” bands such as Toad the Wet Sprocket. Lest you think this college kid is totally wallowing in self-absorption, McCartie does find optimism and light through the shade of even his darkest tunes. Based on this outstanding debut, expect big stuff from this band. [Bruce A. Brown, CCM, June 1996]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/watermelon/1579411976)

CD tracklist:

01. Watermelon – 3:27
02. Polish – 4:10
03. Cheers – 3:36
04. Strange – 4:18
05. Getting This Thing to Go – 3:21
06. Waiting for Godot – 3:19
07. Brown Paper Bag – 3:38
08. Sunbittern – 4:16
09. Drive – 3:33
10. Carrousel – 4:48
11. Superglue – 3:26

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Tooth & Nail Records.

A full-page advertisement for various new releases on Tooth & Nail Records, including Driver Eight’s Watermelon, was featured in the April 1996 issue of CCM Magazine.