|
What’s the 4-1-1?
One of the best melodic pop rock bands of all time return with their
first all new studio album in 17 years filling up stereos with a
classic dose of melodies and harmonies bringing back the sounds of
the ’80’s.
Genre
Melodic rock / pop rock / rock
The Good
he first two songs on the disc serve themselves up as prime examples that why
it may have been 17 years in between new studio albums from the band, they
haven’t abandoned the sound that made them famous, nor let themselves
lose the ability to fashion some of the finest pop rock songs of the time.
The title track lets the signature sound of Jimi Jamison’s vocals shine
through and carry the song high in the stratosphere, while “Fire Makes
Steel” has that big 80’s chorus harmonizing I love and superb
guitar work from Frankie Sullivan. “I Don’t” is another
track that really showcases Sullivan’s
guitar playing to maximum effect. Two of the album’s ballads are excellent.
“Seconds
Away” is a tried and true solid ballad, while “Half Of My Heart” would
be the radio hit if modern radio wasn’t the cesspool it is today.
Frankie Sullivan steps forward to the lead vocal mike on the song “Talkin’ About
Love” and while I complain about a different song he sings further down
in this review, this song sounds like vintage Survivor. His voice is much thinner
than the more muscular sound from Jamison, but the song really works.
The best song on the album is the flat out rocker “Gimmie The Word.” Jamison’s
vocals sound a bit darker than usual and that actually contributes to making
the song sound like one of the “heaviest” songs the band has done.
The Bad
Two of the ballads on the album are big drawbacks. “Rhythm Of Your Heart” leaves
the listener with a musical version of shrugged shoulders. It’s just “there.” It
doesn’t do a thing for me.
The ballad “Home” closes the disc, and while it does have a nice
little guitar line running through the song, it’s a very tepid song overall.
I found it a rather weak way to finish the disc.
This next mention is kind of half hearted complaint. The song “Nevertheless” features
another Frankie Sullivan lead vocal take. Here’s where it gets odd for
me.
I really liked the song, but don’t think it belongs on this album.
Why? It’s simple. It doesn’t even come close to sounding like a Survivor
song. The track plays like a preview of an upcoming Frankie Sullivan solo album.
Don’t get me wrong, I like the song a lot, and I’d happily by a Frankie
Sullivan solo disc, but I don’t think a SURVIVOR album should be used that
way. Now, do I think they intentionally did it that way? Nope, I think it’s
just how the song came across to me. You should check out the song for yourself
and see what you think.
The Verdict
A couple of ballads detract from the overall grade for the album but not
by much. This album is a fine addition to the band’s discography.
They haven’t lost much of anything off their musical fastball and
I hope to see them tour somewhere near me in the near future. Survivor
took a long time between albums, but the band lives up to it’s name
and more. It’s survived the changes in the musical landscape and
with Reach; they prove they are still thriving. This is an album you have
to hear!
Did You Know?
Former Survivor vocalist David Bickler is the singing voice for the Bud Light “Real
Men Of Genius" beer ads.
Jimi Jamison released an album called Empires (also on Frontiers Records) in
1999 under the name Jimi Jamison’s Survivor.
The band’s all time greatest hit “Eye Of The Tiger” received
an Oscar nomination for Best Song in 1983.
Rating:  out
of 5
-- Jay Roberts
|
SURVIVOR
