Based in Madison, Wisconsin, The Getaway Drivers’ brand of Americana rock has been a mainstay for a nearly a decade. For their fourth studio recording the band took a decidedly different turn, enlisting ace producer Brian Daly and delivering Bellatopia, a labor of love two years in the making. Born out of the wrack and ruin of a tumultuous period in which the band lost one of its founding members to cancer, songwriters Bob Manor and Sheila Shigley composed an album that communicates an emotional state of loss, love, anxiety and wonder. 

The Getaway Drivers launched a crowdfunding campaign, spread the word, and their fans came through. Armed with resources previously unavailable, they turned to Daly to bring the musical ideas to fruition. 

The result is Bellatopia, a polished landscape of musical intricacy and lyrical mystery uniting both the old soul of rock and the angst of the modern world. The lead track, “Suburban Summer Shine,” features a postmodern swirl of guitars driven by a mystic piano riff. It succeeds in establishing the record's dense and melodic tone, while more the contemplative “Better Days” and “Hope Road” pay homage to the sweet-tea nostalgia of days gone by. 

While The Getaway Drivers haven't completely pulled up their signature Americana roots, Bellatopia reveals a band that has taken a marked turn down a promising new road.