If Unknown frontman Ken Blaze feels cheated by the FM dial, he’s earned that right. The songs on his band’s sixth full-length album, Radio Lied to Me, were made for the airwaves, with unsinkable harmonies and heart-on-the-sleeve lyrics that easily one-up strong-selling, similar-minded national acts such as Simple Plan and Bowling for Soup.
And still Cleveland’s longest-running pop-punk band gets no love from the broadcasting powers. On Radio Lied to Me, the band blasts through 12 affecting nuggets like a caffeine-free throwback to All. Blaze, backed by growling guitars and a nimble rhythm section, has never sounded better; he’s one of the few vocalists of his ilk who understands the difference between pleading and whining. The only downside: Radio Lied to Me is the band’s last album with guitarist Chris Roscoe, and it remains to be seen how they’ll recover from the loss of their primary songwriter. Still, a better send-off could hardly be imagined.
This article appears in May 14-20, 2003.