Now
we´re talking, the new Broke(n)Blue album is a tremendous AOR/Rock album.
This Swedish outfit released their debut album back in 2001 and I thought
it was a nice surprise. It has taken them 4 years to follow up that record
and I must say that they have managed to come up with a really strong one.
This is nothing new under the sun but they do it damn good and one thing
that separates them from other AOR acts is that the vocal part is shared
between Peter Gustavsson and Eve Eggesjö Abrahamsson. One male and one
famale makes it sound more interesting and they both sing very well and
that is one of the reasons that this album has a wide variation and that´s
the beauty of this album.
This is an album for lovers of pure AOR with lots of hooks, dut-dut
keyboards, harmonies and the most important part, melodies. The Waiting is
a move forward for this band with the debut in mind but with more tougher
guitars performed by Lasse Abrahamsson and he is delivering riffantastic
guitars on a few songs.
The Waiting is a long album with 13 songs and the running time is over 60
minutes so you will get value for your money. There is something for every
lover of AOR/Melodic Rock. The opening of the album is brilliant with the
keyboard driven How Does It Feel with a tough chorus and strong background
vocals. Then they strike with Perfect Match that is one of the strongest
tracks of the album. Fantastic 80s Heart sounding semi-ballad with lovely
melodies and Eve´s voice is stunning, a killer song.
Endlessly is an up-tempo rocker with a Journey/Toto approach. Rivers Are
Calling must be the heaviest song that B(n)B has done. This is a awesome
guitardriven AOR-rocker where Peter sings the refrain and Eva takes care of
the chorus together with Peter in a brilliant way.
This is a song where they show a different side of the band. This is a
tough rocker with lots of harmonies, melodies and it´s filled with catchy
hooklines. Midnite Show is another song with a tougher chorus with great
keyboards and riffs.
The album ends with a beautiful AOR-ballad First Time (not the Robin Beck
song) that reminds very much of Robin Beck and Heart. Eva has a similar
voice to Robin Beck and many of the songs reminds of her.
The production is strong and is one of the things that makes this album
sound so tight. So if you´re into Robin Beck, Heart, Alyson Avenue and are
looking for quality AOR then this new B(n)B album is a MUST. This is an
album that has the quality of songs that makes this album simply stunning.
I dig this album even more than the debut. This is a fine contribution for
the AOR/Rock world.
|