Single #1...first track, "A Better Day". This song alternates between electric and acoustic guitars DeCarlo's modern day Brad Delp delivery. Hooks and melody lines are everywhere. Tommy DeCarlo Jr.'s guitar solo is precise and buoyant without being flashy and pretentious.
Single #2...second track, "You Are The Fire", rocks a little harder but still delivers terrific singable lyrics coupled with some fuzzy clean guitar work. The Boston template is joyfully in place. The music is clean and easy to listen to. And all those great harmonies you remember are back and seem more alive and even more impactful.
Single #3...third track, "Give Love A Try", is a bit more esoteric in relation to Boston, as it borrows from Foreigner and Toto. The lyrics are a message we all need right now. This is followed by the atmospheric instrumental, "Into The Storm", which acts much like a power ballad as it introduces the next single...
Single #4...Fifth track..."Lightning Strikes Twice". A stop-start-up-down lost Boston sounding hook. All with thunderous sound effects and lyrics lifted from what could have been a 1977 songwriting seminar.
Single #5...Sixth track..."Still In Love". A genuine, heart felt, piano based power ballad that eventually evolves into a more mid-tempo acoustic song. Again, the songwriting and melodic prowess here is pretty exciting since there ain't much new stuff being written to this caliber.
Single #6...Seventh track..."Rock and Soul". An amazing mix of west coast AOR and 70's rock complete with saxophones and abundant harmonies. There's also a dash of 80's Bad Company (think Fame and Fortune album).
Single #7...Eighth track..."There She Goes". A close to perfect rock single for any format. Harmonies, melody lines, that persistent Boston style Hammond B-3 in the background. Tommy sounds totally in charge on this and the band has struck radio gold for sure if radio cooperates.
Single #8...Ninth track..."Stand Up (Play Ball) was likely written for sports stadiums as a way to rile up fans. Works well with John Fogerty's "Centerfield".
Single #9...Tenth track..."The One" is another old fashioned power ballad with Tommy's voice taking a gentler approach. Maybe too soft for old Boston fans, but for those who loved "Amanda", this is a fine sequel.
Single #10...Eleventh track..."Gotta Go" goes great with Boston's "Party". A working class, blow off some steam weekend anthem. The music continues to be radio friendly at every turn.
Single #11...Twelfth track..."I Think I Fell In Love With You"...wraps up this melodic masterpiece with the entire Boston template in tact. More mid tempo rocking but with clarity and easy to sing lyrics.
Some will complain that this record isn't as heavy as some of Boston's material. It's weighs a little lighter but it carries the same substance. More importantly, it fills the great melodic rock void with something truly on par with excellent music from long ago. DeCarlo proves that apart from Tom Sholtz, he can create the next chapter in the Boston legacy. And here's hoping that we don't have to wait as long for DeCarlo music compared to the enormous gaps between Boston records. This is a must have for fans of Boston and RTZ.
Lightning Strikes Twice is being released on January 24th, 2020 via Frontiers Records....Order Here
Album rating 9.8
I envy your early access to what sounds like a beyond incredible forthcoming musical platter! Intrigued by your concise track-by-track
ReplyDeleteanalysis, especially your quick references to Bad Company Mark II's "Fame & Fortune" album and the Boston-adjacent offshoot band RTZ. Plus, despite the quick onslaught of 2020 within the next 8 days or so,I as
well as many others, including Yourself, still strongly hunger for
new music along those lines. As for your comment that some might be
dismayed that this album is somewhat softer than key Boston albums,
might I remind you that many folks felt that Boston's "Walk On" strayed
a little too far into the then quickly-expiring Hair Metal genre?!? And
that is one of the main reasons I love that disc, well, aside from Fran
Cosmo's awesome vocal delivery, the insane pseudo-digital drum sound, and the always enlightening liner notes. Although I doubt that Carlo
will carry on that particular tradition...
Sorry, obviously meant to type DeCarlo above!
ReplyDeleteAll true. This record actually goes back to Third Stage and the First RTZ album as reference points. But there are some other moments that defy categories. These songs have monster hooks. There are so many albums coming out now, even the new Rev Saints, which I've also heard from start to finish, doesn't stack up even close to what this is.
DeleteProbably 'cause Tommy DeCarlo spent close to ten years observing the
ReplyDeletemaster Tom S. at work and it rubbed off on in him in a positively big
way!! Perhaps Revolution Saints has too much of that typical Frontier
Records part-time, supposed & part-time super-group feel to its overall finished product?!?