Melodic Rock with great vocals, heaving melodies and plenty of bite and all of a sudden you’ve found another favourite Melodic Rock band from Sweden. Four albums in this just may be the quirkily-titled Captain Black Beard’s finest hour.
Opening with the assured ‘All the Pain’ it’s clear that vocalist Liv Hansson offers more than most to this genre of music, she’s got a wonderful range and she knows just how to rock it. “Perfect Little Clue’ is perhaps even better and really brings the best out in those deeper notes – its the chorus though that really seals the deal, maybe even enough to edge into my picks of the year.
Well that was until I heard ‘Believer’ which takes things down lower with acoustic guitars and more hooks than you imagine all the Captain’s friends could muster. There’s a refreshing modern-edge too that really makes you wonder how this would go on the radio under an assumed name. It’s brilliant.
The rest of the album is none to shabby either. There’s first of all the key-laden ‘Picture Life’ which is just a little poppy for me, ‘Gotta Go’ which sports some great harmonies and ‘Out of Control’ that builds wonderfully and comes across all 80’s. They are all in truth great songs.
Can they keep it up all the way to the end I hear you ask? well almost, ‘Dead End street’ appropriately I guess seems like an unfinished idea that needed just a little more, but title track ‘Struck By Lightning’ rights the Captain’s ship again with a simply wonderful vocal taking centre stage. ‘Nobody’ like you adds a little country Blues and it really suits them so well it’s a shame there’s not a little more on here, and closing track ‘Straight Outta Hell’ rounds out a rather fine effort with a nice melodic anthem.
This really is a great album and if Melodic Rock floats your boat then you’ll find it hard to beat it this year.
