Not to be gatekept: Business as Usual is the underdog protagonist pipe dream you never knew you needed.
Release Date: March 20, 2025
Rating: 5/5
Cincinnati’s own Dravin and The Ravens bring on their newest EP “Business as Usual”, sprinting while carrying the garage rock revival torch. With strong influence from the likes of Jack White, The Raconteurs, The Beatles, and even Dave Matthews Band - Dravin and The Ravens suit up to take you on an electrifying trip around the hero’s journey circle.
Out of Order makes for a fantastic intro to the EP. This song very effectively sets the stage for the overall tone, energy, and emotions that are being conveyed here. I think “Out of Order” has a lot to offer overall as a song. As far as the tone and the emotions being conveyed, this does an exceptional job of encapsulating the 2000s nostalgia with its punchy choruses and chord progression, and its use of horn driven melody. It makes me think of a 2000s movie with an underdog protagonist, in a scene where the character sets foot on their respective college campus for the first time. This type of nostalgia being conveyed is one thing that Dravin and The Ravens is known for and does very well. There's a lot of moving parts as far as instrumentation goes, but in a way where I feel that it gives the song a lot to enjoy. My favorite parts overall were its hypnotizing interlude, and the very fun effects being used in the solo, and definitely were things that brought me back to this song after my initial listening of the EP.
Back to Business is a fearless call to adventure while being a song you would play when it's time for you to lock in. The big standout on this song to me is the Beatles influence. I can hear it in the blues chord progression, especially in the chorus, and it's presented in a way that is palatable to a modern audience. “Back to Business” gave me the impression of being a song where our so to speak underdog protagonist discovers the transformative powers of donning a leather jacket and sunglasses – putting it all together, this song really does capture the essence of getting back to business.
Washing Machine made for a sufficiently fun listen with its catchy progression. “Washing Machine” is a very straightforward song, and I feel that it maintains the flow of the overall essence of the album quite well. It has all the elements of what makes a groovy, vibey jam-driven song which is something that I am particularly biased towards. “Washing Machine” carries a type of energy that could be just as applicable on a dance floor as it would be hanging out in your apartment, reading a book in your favorite chair. This song’s versatility in this capacity really stood out.
Slow Burn is the ending scene before the credits, the crux of the story before our implicit hero’s cathartic finale. “Slow Burn” has almost a yearning sort of undertone to it that I thought was very effective in ending the EP. What really extrapolated the overall vibe of this song was its buildup to the electric organ solo and outro guitar solo – this one also had some really neat audio effects being used. This was my favorite song on this release, with “Slow Burn” even making an appearance on my Spotify On Repeat playlist. This song could be used to tell any number of stories, and could very well make for an excellent contender to ride away into the sunset with the windows down this summer.
Closing thoughts: Dravin and The Ravens truly makes every note count. Each of their songs accomplishes so much, as far as storytelling, songwriting, and flow. Their ability to really bring on the garage rock revival sound of the fondly remembered late 90s - 2000s era is very impressive. Their music, and especially this album feels very accessible to all sorts of listeners. Bold, exciting and charismatic – “Business as Usual” is a new release I highly recommend to keep an open ear for.
You can listen to Business as Usual here
