Artist: Katy Guillen & The Drive
Make That Sound
Year Of Release: 2025
Label: Are and Be Recordings
Genre: Americana, Blues, Roots Rock
Quality:  FLAC (tracks)
Total Time: 37:00
Total Size:  222 Mb

Tracklist:

01. Outcome (4:043)
02. Feel Good (3:44)
03. Goodbye Charlie (3:20)
04. What If (3:24)
05. Staying Awake (3:43)
06. Love You For All Time (3:00)
07. Can't Live Without It (3:59)
08. Take A Break (4:48)
09. Make That Sound (2:59)
10. True Madness (4:05)

Kansas City duo Katy Guillen & The Drive, led by music + life partners Katy Guillen (vocals/guitar) and Stephanie Williams (drums) focus on “fostering empowered spaces for women in music both onstage and off.”

This core value heavily influenced the band’s second full-length effort, Make That Sound, produced by Megan McCormick (Allison Russell, Amythyst Kiah), and due out October 17, 2025 via Are and Be Recordings.

Not quite Americana in a traditional sense, but it has a rootsy, edgier, earthy brand with crisp drums & determined vocals that dominate “Outcome.” The music is aggressive at times, but does display a reliable rock ‘n’ roll grip. The artist wishes her music to be a celebration of self-empowerment, liberation, vulnerability, honesty & love — but isn’t that what true R&R has always been for whoever took to the stage? From Leslie Gore, the Shangri-Las to Tina Turner?

It seems that’s the credo & aim as produced by Megan McCormick (bass/guitar/lap steel/bgv) & recorded in Nashville with grinding guitars. It possesses a viable proportion of rock’s influences with gutsiness & wonderful voices that blend strongly to make the music attractive regardless of the process. The 10 expansive, well-conceived stabs Make That Sound & succeed.

Even the slower tunes like “Feel Good” have a prickly wool feel woven in cotton to make it soft & durable. The vocalizations are always on point & well arranged. Their sound is captivating with good performances throughout, though some are fairly basic & not challenging. Typical of indie roots rock of many stripes. Some tunes have a garage rock charm & others are far more polished. But the sound is never thin, though it’s not innovative. It follows a reliable, energetic path. Nothing is bombastic or elementary. It’s played tightly & with vigor.

What’s objectionable are the vocal treatments that are actually not necessary unless it’s believed that the vocals aren’t projecting efficiently & require the added “sound enhancement” (embellishment) to carry the message. But Katy’s voice is rock & roll good. It should remain uh…organic. Pure. To exemplify the very celebration of self-empowerment, liberation, vulnerability, honesty & love – through the human rock voice & not effects.

Kansas City, Missouri’s Katy Guillen (vocals/guitar/keys) has a frenetic quality & she keeps it in check throughout her set. She could be a credible chanteuse or a hip-grinding blues singer. Some tunes are tender (“Staying Awake”) & well-written & performed despite their dangerous cruising along the ary pop-rock median. Kathy wisely doesn’t cross over.

The excellent “Take a Break” is a slow burner & Katy’s finest vocal. Effective, accurate & telling. A lovely melody with instinctive gentleness. No drama – just feeling. The instrumentation brings it to the expected coda, rather than a showboating vocal. Nice decision.