Rixton– a four member boyband from the UK- released their debut album Let the Road after gaining attention from the public and talent agents on their YouTube cover videos back in 2012.
The British boyband consists of Jake Roche (vocals), Charley Bagnall (lead guitarist), Danny Wilkin (bass and keyboards), and Lewi Morgan (drums). They were noticed by talent manager Scooter Braun who saw their cover video of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas online and decided to sign them. Their YouTube channel soon gained thousands of subscribers and viewers. Braun has worked with several notable artists, including PSY, Ariana Grande, and Justin Bieber.
Rixton’s own debut single, Me and My Broken Heart, later went on to become a hit song, joining the list of many that they covered when they were still only a band from Manchester, England. The song debuted at #87 on the Billboard’s Top 100 list in the U.S. and later made it to #14. The song, overall, is extremely catchy and well-written. The song was even nominated for a Teen Choice Award for Choice Single Group. In the same night, Rixton was nominated for three other awards as well. Their music is very similar to that of Maroon 5, OneRepublic, Justin Timberlake, The Wanted, McFly, and The Script, so any fans of these artists may enjoy Rixton.
Let the Road starts out with a magnificent cappella song, which shares a title with the album. The number was written with poetic and inspiring lyrics, including lines such as “Let the road take you home and the sun catch your eye if you don’t belong…and you’re scared of the darkness to come, oh hold on”. The album as a whole is hardly written by the band, but it is essentially well-written. The music itself is extremely well constructed and the lyrics are sung beautifully.
Although they seem like they fit the average boyband stereotype, their voices and sound are somewhat different. They give off a certain soulful vibe and are most likely influenced by R&B music. Even their performances are quite unique with the occasionally played “pop-up gig” in randomly chosen spots. The first time they played one in New York City, they expected almost no one to come but ended up having approximately 60 fans show up, which is quite impressive for a last minute gig.
While their first album sold is greatly admired by their fans, Rixton still is not quite known for anything other than their single Me and My Broken Heart. This album has been a great start to their career, and hopefully we will be seeing more from them in the future, however there is still some room for growth and improvement. The songs, overall were arguably a bit cliché, but catchy and relatable-which is what makes or breaks any pop artist.
