This is an interesting one with Paul Lidel (Dirty Looks, Dangerous Toys, Broken Teeth) new band recreating the sound of early eighties Hard Rock with a refreshing no-frills approach. Sadly its not all new, so if you already have the EP from 2017 then you have 5 of the 11 tracks here. What you do get though is an album with plenty of ideas and no time for any of that fancy shit.
Opening with the new track not on that EP ‘Devil in Your Dreams’ you get a hit of 80’s rock , melodic, rough around the edges but nice an solid. Lidel who fronts this three -piece has a voice that sounds somewhere between Frank Dimino of Angel and the croak of Stephen Pearcy of Ratt. Second new track ‘Rumor’ almost has touches of Angel in its composition too if you re-imagine the band in a dive bar in old denim rather than in satins on a keyboard drenched stage. It’s a nice opening.
EP track ‘Coming’ Down Like Rain’ follows a song that might have been most people’s introduction to the band (their first video) It’s a nice rocker, as is the catchiest song here ‘Fool’ which follows, another new song that brings a really cool Metal edge.
‘Move like that’ hits the spot too with big drums, killer riff and rumbling bass; whilst ‘Crystal Ball’ adds a nice groove; and ‘Avenue’ which sees bassist Jeff Lynn on lead vocals (think Rick Emmett) also satisfies. It’s mt favorite part of the album hidden there in the middle.
‘Blood From a Stone’ has a pleasing vintage Aerosmith-like grind before we run out with three of the EP tracks. ‘Do It Over’ sounds oddly contemporary in the verses and sports a great chorus and ‘Nine Pound Hammer’ twists and turns and shimmies and shakes before final track ‘Never Say Forever’ closes the album as it did the EP with another great slab of rock.
This is a lot of righteous noise for a three piece and fans of Dangerous Toys and Dirty Looks will of course be more than happy. But if you crave a bit of no-frills rock and roll with zero pretension, this is a cool spin.
LINE-UP: Paul Lidel (Lead Vocals & Guitars) , Chris Jordan (Drums), Jeff Lynn (Bass Guitar, Vocals)
TRACKLIST: 1 Devil In Your Dreams | 2 Rumor | 3 Comin’ Down Like Rain |4 Fool| 5 Move Like That | 6 Crystal Ball | 7 Avenue | 8 Blood From A Stone| 9 Do It Over | 10 Nine Pound Hammer | 11 Never Say Forever