The Million Reasons - The Runaround

Very few artists today topping the mainstream Rock charts really know how to truly ROCK OUT.  I mean ROCK OUT the way Zeppelin, Hendrix, and INXS did in the days of true Rock. 

Modern mainstream Rock bands act like they can Rock Out just by their image and the noise – for example:  they may have the long hair to pay tribute to the Hair Bands, or the leather cladded wardrobe to express rebelliousness, or even jam on the guitar to make it loud and explosive, but that is a great façade mapped out by their labels to make the audience believe these bands are extensions of the Rock gods of old.  They do not really know Rock Music – the struggle, the reason, and the attitude that made those Rock Legends just that – LEGENDS!  Yes, Rock music is really about the message and that message is married to the music. 

One such band that continues to rock out and show the real deal of Rock is The Million Reasons.  These guys have been playing together for years and have mastered the art of Rock. 

Based in Chicago Illinois USA, The Million Reasons’ members include Scott Nadeau (vocals/bass), Ken Ugel (lead guitar), Colin Dill (percussions), and Mike Nichols (rhythm guitar).  And the writing of the hits is a collaborative effort.  The fraternity of these Rock dudes is evident in the music and the lyrics – you can get a sense of the mutual trust – this is truly a BAND! 

I liken the front man of the band’s vocal range to Bryan Adams as he has that Soft Rock quality trilling off of his vocals – the type of voice that made songs of the 1980s era of music so appealing and infectious.  Coupled with this voice is the ride or die approach all four musicians bring to the table to explore, create, and execute their music. 

And it takes this full creative concept to really exhibit true Rock music. 

This is a review of The Million Reasons’ 2017 release entitled “The Runaround.” 

Six songs drive this gasoline fueled Rock EP:

1) Break Free

2) Hooked

3) Early Bird

4) Liar

5) The City Is Ours

6) Sad Robot 

While all six songs give the listeners a great music cocktail of Pop Rock, Hard Rock, and Classic Rock, I consider the tracks reviewed as the fuel to the EP’s theme of ride or die Rock. 

So, are you ready to rock?  Let’s start with the first track “Break Free.” 

I have to say this first, try elevating your voice to a melodious rebel yell in an octave that fills an arena and try not to have your voice crack.  Hard isn’t it?  Well it is easy as breathing for Scott Nadeau.   I’m telling you guys, “Break Free” really takes it over the edge – the power, the grit, the core of Rock muscle all lives on this track.  A great opening track, the lyrics read “You locked me up inside your heart/and then you threw away the key/I've been trying to escape/But you've got your hold on me/gotta find a way to Break free.”  Honestly, if you could cut open the heart of a Rocker, these lyrics would be the blood – the rebelliousness, the heartache, the drive.  Hard Rock glory.  This is anthem-ready!  No more words! 

The second song “Hooked” got me hooked with that needle precise lead guitar piercing the track at minute 3:29 while that bass just throbs in sync with adrenaline-filled melodic encased lyrics – lyrics that evoke lust and how this affectionate emotion is addicting and pleasurable.  “For better or worse, you’ve got me cursed.”  This is the open the T top center bar on the IROC Z song, the forget about the better and settle for the worse song – it has all kinds of sexy wrapped into three minutes. 

The mellowest cut in the entire collection is “Liar” – a well-written, honest, track that plays beautifully like a tragic love scene.  This fourth track channels that sultry Rock that made Def Leppard’s classic single “Bringin on the Heartache” such a cult hit – guitar harmonies, heartbreaker percussions, and brutally honest lyrics.   And in composition and execution, “Liar” is a Rock quartet with the lead vocalist, the lead guitar, the bass, and the rhythm guitar electrifyingly singing along with each other equally and splendidly.  And everyone who knows me knows that I am a guitar loving Queen, but I also adore how singers take a deep breath and then excel to enunciate emotion on a song – the lead vocalist does this vocal technique in this cut and this just takes the reality of the song to a whole other level of emotion.  Moreover, the triple threat of the three guitars waxing and waning along with the bass drum at the 2:28 break down is nothing less than superhero in appeal.  

Filled with youthful harmony and adlibs, the fifth track entitled “The City Is Ours” displays youthful rebelliousness.  Nadeau sings “The city is ours/we can be kings and queens/of the forgotten age/Let's paint the colors on the clouds/until the sun comes up again.”  Can you imagine how it used to be back in the day, when the street lights have come on and everyone else have gone inside of the house for the night, but it is that time when the night really starts!  The loud hoots, that glow on the face that only yellow light can make – that is when the memories are made and when you can really rule!  So glad The Million Reasons put this wonderful memory to music. 

In homage of the Rock gods, what better song to close the EP than “Sad Robot,” a ferocious electrifying track that touches on the subject of “sticking it to the man” or to the current labor establishment so to speak – that is true Classic ROCK ladies and gentlemen by definition and musical description.  The lyrics display this rebellious archetype, “Doing the same thing same time every day/Follow their rules and play their games/Press every button until I find/Another way out of my mind/ Don't want to be another sad robot/ I don't want to live that way/I've got to disconnect and pay/Attention to what the world has got/Don't want to be another sad robot.”  The guitars scream and Colin’s drums bring the muscle to splendidly sew up this Rock-mazing track and the crowd roars. 

Today, we rarely hear songs in Top 40 music that resonate like Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” where the rebel reigned and left their mark on society – songs with true anthem appeal, well add The Million Reasons to the list of bands that know how to Rock Out! 

Holding sacred the art of Rock resonates in the music of The Million Reasons as these guys are serious musicians and they make timeless music that really does speak to the listener – it defines an era, stirs up emotions, and leaves a lasting impression.  The message is in the music! 

And that is just the music – what about the voice?  

Well, The Million Reasons’ front man can actually hold a note – I mean, he is not just yelling or screaming, there are trills, scales, a range, and an original appeal with his vocal prowess and that is so nice to hear in Rock.  

True to form, they have harkened and kept a live that era of music that we love to rock to, the 80’s, but they have also stayed current, as their music also features some Emo (a sub-genre of Rock music developed in Washington DC USA that soon ventured into the Mid-Western US).  In true Emo fashion, The Million Reasons surgically compose their Rock tunes with more EMOTION and feature expressions from today’s musical atmosphere versus only being political or social as Classic Rock lyrics hold true to.  And this is a great aspect of The Million Reasons as this broadens their fan scope and pits them above their current competitors.  I like to say they are a little bit CLASSIC, a little bit of NOW, but a whole lot of ROCK! 

There are a million reasons to take a listen to this band’s Rock music, now show me ONE reason not to – you can’t.  So if you love the uncompromising true elements that ROCK music contains, take a listen to The Million Reasons’ “The Runaround” – music with a rebellious edge, timeless songs, and classic Rock. 

To learn more about this Rocking ah-some band or to purchase their music, go to age:  www.themillionreasons.com.