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Recovery magazine
Taxiride - Imaginate
MenIIMen. Commercial radio will undoubtedly fall over this release as tracks such as 'Rachel' have the same easy going familiarity as their first single 'Get Set.' Taxiride are actually pretty damn good at what they do. The harmonies and acoustic guitar work are great and the songs are surprisingly listenable. Does anyone remember Peter Cetera's crappy vocal sounds on his 'Glory of Love' theme from the original Karate Kid movie? Taxiride's biggest downfall is the tendency to sound like that. KJ
***

Music Today
Taxiride - Imaginate
Imaginate is undoubtedly radio friendly and Taxiride aren't about to apologise. They've made one of the best Australian albums of the year - which has a long path up the singles chart, too. Get Set and Can You Feel rock out, as does Nothing In This World, and like most of the other songs, fast or slow, they're packed with irresistible hooks, catchy melodies and harmonies. Place yourself sitting in a taxi, flipping through the stations and hearing different snippets of songs. What you'll hear is current but timeless pop albums influenced by groups like The Beatles, Jellyfish, Simon and Garfunkel, Crosby, Stills and Nash and even a hint of energy we once saw with Things of Stone and Wood. These four writers, singers and multi-instrumentalists move between serious and emotional, like the heartstrings tug of Let Me Die Young to the nonsenseical Beatles tribute Ice Cream or the romantic Rachel, it all sounds and tastes terrific.
****½

TV Hits
Taxiride - Imaginate
Fantastic harmonies and impeccable songcraft guarantee loads of radio airplay for this awesome debut! Packed with loads of potential singles, highlights are 'Get Set' and 'Everywhere You Go.'
****

Big Hit
Taxiride - Imaginate
Catch a ride: If you liked their cool first single 'Get Set', then you'll love this debut album.
Harmony hits: There is no lead singer in Taxiride, as all four guys belt out beautiful harmonies on destined-to-be pop hits like 'Everywhere You Go', '72 Hour Daze', 'Rocketship', 'Icecream', and the sweet 'Rachel'.
Big Hit prediction: Expect these guys to clean up at next years ARIA awards and probably have a hit or two in America in the coming months!

Hit!
Taxiride - Imaginate
It starts off like one of your dad's records: the countrified guitar and multiple aerated harmonies on Can You Feel sounding like an escapee from Woodstock. The first one.
But the dance beats discreetly popping up in the background show where Taxiride's four-heads-as-one are at, a toe in the future and a big, heavy foot in the past.
This slick debut album with severely American production (clever, because that's what Australian radio thrives on) courtesy Jack Joeseph Puig (check your Tonic or Goo Goo Dolls albums) shows they're OK with the history of pop: from the sitar spread throughout to the '60s-aping Ice Cream.
***

Smash Hits
Taxiride - Get Set
Whether rock or pop is your thing, this stormer from Taxiride will have everyone swinging in the aisles. You may need help from Smash's song lyrics to get the words right, though! Get set to crank it up dudes!
****

Australian Music Biz
TaxiRide - Imaginate
This is one of the best albums to ever come out of Australia. A big call, I know, Taxiride have definately struck a chord with me. Their single Get Set has been a big hit going top ten but listening to the album, you realise that any one of the twelve tracks could have met with the same success. Their new hit, Everywhere You Go is proving this. I think there are still some better single choices still waiting in the wings.
Taxiride are a foursome of guitarist/vocalists who were discovered soon after their inception and signed up to Warner records. Their songs have the pop sensibilities that made the Beatles famous with the harmonies that have catapulted Human Nature to stardom. They have a broad appeal, targeting all markets with music at home on any radio station.
Already meeting with success in the USA, Taxiride are curiously tackling their home country second. Their hit Get Set was helped along in the states after its inclusion on the soundtrack to the movie The Election. The movie is due for release here in the next week or so which should aid the album's success. A whirlwind courtship of the music industry have seen the group rise to international success in less than a year, but unlike so many manufactured bands, this success is justified.
The album is brilliant and will appeal to most, so I don't think it'll be long before they are nesting next to Savage Garden on radio playlists. The album must be heard to be believed. It opens with huge harmonies on Can You Feel before launching into Get Set. They achieve near perfection on every following track with the upbeat 72 Hour Daze and Everywhere You Go memorable tunes.
Let Me Die Young is a ballad that really holds it's own and becomes the centrepiece of the album. The hilights come at tracks seven and eight with Rachael and Ice Cream. Rachael has a hook line that just won't go away, while Ice Cream could have been lifted straight off a Beatles album. It has everything a hit needs- sugary lyrics (Take me to Sunset Park/We'll find a better day/Somewhere that's far away), a universal melody and 70s musical interlude that's enough to impress anyone.
I can't find any fault with this disc. Most groups get better as they age. I think in this case, however, Taxiride have hit the winning formula right from the beginning. I recommend getting to your local record store as soon as possible to get your copy. If you only buy one album in your lifetime, make it this one.

Pop Stops
TaxiRide - Imaginate
These four guys spin sleek, peppy power pop; lots of chiming guitars and easy listening beats, a transparent penchant for ripping into Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel harmonies and darned catchy songwriting should make Imaginate an easy instant Top 40 hit.
Bands like Glass Tiger, Savage Garden, Jellyfish, Johnny Hates Jazz and The Outfield have all played in this mid-tempo pop-rock field before with some success and Taxiride bring their own lush spin to the genre. Their sitar-enhanced, Savage Garden-esque single "Get Set" has already debuted on the Election soundtrack and I’m guessing more bits of Imaginate will be turning up in a lot of other places very soon. This is summer music to hum along with — definitely a ride worth the fare.
***½