If you wanted to get to the nub of things this sounds like a cross between Journey at their most AOR and Strangeways, but just fails to capture the best of either. On opening track ‘After the Rain’ add a dash of Danger Danger at their most balladic. It’s beautifully played, wonderfully constructed feel-good AOR of the finest quality and it’s yet another Frontiers project overseen by Alessandro Del Vecchio (who produced, played keys and contributed to writing).
The band is yet another in the long line of Projects by the label that all have their merits but which certainly all share a large number of characteristics. This ‘band’ (if we can use that term loosely) is comprised of current Alliance alumnae vocalist/bassist Robert Berry and guitarist Gary Pihl (ex-Boston/Sammy Hagar) along with drummer Matt Starr (Mr. Big/Ace Frehley) and one of my favourite vocalists Terry Brock (Strangeways/The Sign).
At times it works beautifully such on the sumptuous opener, on on the very 80’s ‘Down Life’s Pages’ but at times it also fairly plods along ticking a few boxes here and there but without much real conviction or imagination (except in the performances) like on tracks such as the ballad ‘Don’t Surrender (To Love)’ which is as ‘by numbers’ as they come or maybe on the rather awkward ‘Never Back Down Again’.
When it all clicks though you feel that it’s untouchable, like on the other ballad ‘Mother Don’t Cry’ – Terry Brock’s finest moment here or on ‘Heroin Your Life’ the best of the rockers.