Endway’s self-titled debut CD has some pretty cool rock n roll drumming pedigree behind it. Their executive producer, Peter Hackel, toured with former Badfinger member Joey Molland, rocking out behind the kit, and one of the songs on the CD (‘Always’), was produced by Joe Pet, who drummed for rock legend Joe Perry’s great post- (and pre-) Aerosmith band The Joe Perry Project. So it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Endway drummer Scott James has a lot to live up to.

Well, on this disc, James and his bandmates, Morgan Dorr (vocals, guitar), Kevin McHugh (guitar, backup vocals), and Chris Burns (bass guitar, backup vocals) definitely have nipped in the bud any inferiority complexes, as they come out hard and fast, cocksure about their own place in the world of rock.
The ten tunes that fill up ‘Endway’ stick to a tried and true formula: boundless energy and chops wrapped in a radio-ready, fun package. The kickoff track, ‘And We Live’, sets the mood with a swirling intro of clean, crisp guitars that get louder and the crash of drums make the statement clear: we are here to show you a good time, not to beat you over the head with a sonic assault. This is power pop, turned up to eleven. When Dorr sings ‘I could sing forever standing by myself’ near the end, this song about the cathartic release of live music reaches spectacular heights, and the chorus ‘Take my hand and sing with me now’ is all the audience needs to hear.
Another standout song, ‘This Town Forever’ deals with the frustrations of feeling world-weary in the small town you know best. “We all say the same things” sings Dorr as the band rages and thrashes all around his vocals.
The men show a softer side on the aptly (albeit dull)-titled ‘Acoustic Song’. It’s a bittersweet number, stripped of playful sounds and anchored by strong lyrics like ‘Everyone is calling out your name, and I won’t cry/It’s alright to say goodbye’. Like the song’s title among the tracklisting, the song stand apart from the others, not like a sore thumb, more like a sober friend.
Endway performed at Toast on Jan. 14 as headliners of the Somerville News Tsunami Relief Benefit for the Little Sisters of the Poor of Somerville, where Alderman at large William A. White presided as host. At the show, bassist Burns spoke of the need to help. “I have faith that we will all come together and aid those in need,” said Burns. That attitude was non-cynical and not at all full of the hipper-than-thou veneer that seems to come hand-in-hand with so many bands today. It speaks volumes about what this band is about and what they stand for in their music; having a good time without hurting others. They are not out to reinvent the proverbial wheel; they just want to give it some new chrome rims.