AMG Review of Viva Satellite

Roxanne Blanford
All Music Guide

It may not be Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but the third studio release from southern rocker Todd Snider sure sounds like it. There are plenty of suspended and liberated guitar breaks here, plus a gentle country twang, and despite the annoying imitation of Tom Petty on several tracks, Viva Satellite has enough of a good-ol'-boy honky-tonk feel, that it can stand well on its own merit. With a distinctive bluegrass/pop country slant, Todd Snider has produced a collection of familiar sounding melodies that will win you over. The reverence paid to the masters of countrified blues-rock Arlo Guthrie and Neil Young may be a bit on the heavy side, however on cuts like "Rocket Fuel," and the gospel-tinged "Godsend," Todd Snider proves he has a signature style all his own.