Close the Distance (Deluxe Edition)

With its stunning 2012 sophomore album, the Tallahassee, Fla.–based Go Radio do away with any and all trace elements of its frontman’s former band, Mayday Parade. Where Jason Lancaster carried vestiges of his old emo-pop style into Go Radio's 2011 debut, Lucky Parade, Close the Distance sounds noticeably matured, with larger, sprawling sonic backdrops. “I Won’t Lie” sets the tone as panoramic harmonies and soaring melodies resonate in multilayered harmonies. The less dramatic “Baltimore” follows as Lancaster dips into his lower register, where his voice breaks nicely with a palpable restraint in those emotive inflections. The standout “Collide” locks and clicks with kinetic arrangements that move with metronomic clockwork, especially the stuttered guitar riffs and drums that somehow sound simultaneously mechanical and human. Over this, Lancaster's choice of lyrics and phrasing fit the melody like a well-tailored suit. Similarly, the attractive title track snowballs from the beginnings of a ballad into a powerful and authoritative anthem that’s just waiting to score a romantic moment on a show like Grey's Anatomy or One Tree Hill.