Opening with the title track ‘Change the World’, Harem Scarem’s 16th studio release instantly reminds you of why this band should always have been huge. There’s no one out there in Melodic Rock land who can so consistently hit these heights. It’s a great opening and a refrain that you will wake up with in your head.
The wonderful ‘Aftershock’ that follows is even more memorable and gets even better with each listen, there’s a certain Foreigner vibe I’m getting and we’re sounding great. ‘Searching For Meaning’ might sound like the title of the first ballad but it’s another rocker with a little harder edge and directness with a cascading ‘summer nights with the top down‘ sing-along refrain that will have you beaming.
‘The Death of Me’ is a burst of melodic joy with a nice harder edge and a little Mr Big in the solo; whilst ‘Mother of Invention’ opens like a late period Freddie Mercury ballad and the comparison is enhanced further by the lush backing vocals’. ‘No Man’s Land’ gets us back to rocking with a groovier edge.
Half way in I’m doing that ‘where does this sit in the catalogue?’ routine and it’s looking pretty good. Then all of a sudden ‘Into the Unknown’ kicks in and threatens to steal the show completely before ‘Riot in my Head’ sets a nice fast pace to get the blood pumping and ‘No Me Without You’ eases you back gently, it’s perfect tracklisting.
The heaviest track here is ‘Fire and Gasoline’, at least when it starts it is but it’s not long until those wonderful memories crash in, it’s a great sound and one of my favourites here. Final track ‘Swallowed by the Machine’ is another song that just soars. It’s a damn fine track and this is a damn fine album. 16 records in I love this as much as any.
9/10
