Good day to you waveriders.
I'd like to begin by reminiscing about the time I was listening to Led
Zeppelin and I first heard Robert Plant ask the audience, "Does anybody
remember laughter?". Holy cow that
was an awfully long time ago! Also, how
does this memory tie into the rest of this review? Excellent question my friends. I shall attempt to clarify. In my mind what Mr. Plant was attempting to
highlight was the fact that rock 'n' roll should be fun to listen to and
experience.
Enter an exceedingly pleasant surprise, the album One More For The Road from The New Roses. In the middle of an elongated search through
a mountain of stoner rock, doom, sludge, and death metal I had fallen into a
state of musical disrepair. Don't get me
wrong. If you've read any of my other
reviews on The Ripple Effect you'll know I love me some stoner rock, doom,
sludge, and death metal. What I am
saying however is that after listening to nothing but the aforementioned genres
for an extended period of time my mind forgets that hard rock can be fun. The
New Roses reminded me of that simple truth.
Before we go any further allow me to make something
abundantly clear. One More... is an album rooted in glam metal. It's glam-tastic! Exposure to these songs may cause involuntary
application of make up and a radical change of hairstyles and fashion sense. I do not have any knowledge of The New Roses previous releases, but I
have more than a sneaking suspicion about what I'll hear upon further
investigation. And investigate I shall,
but back to One More.
Folks, this album is a rip-roaring great time! From the initial guitar riffs of album opener
"Quarter To Twelve" all the way through the final notes of the
anthemic title track I'm suggesting your smile will effortlessly stretch from
ear to ear. Mine certainly does since I
have a weakness for exceptionally strong melodic hooks and choruses. Songs like "Forever Never Comes",
"Consider Me Gone", "Every Wild Heart", and "Dancing
On A Razor Blade" are catchier than the latest scientifically engineered
pair of gloves NFL wide receivers utilize to enhance their natural
abilities. Those of you on the lookout
for a heartfelt power ballad need look no further than "Fight You Leaving
Me" and "Life Ain't Easy (For A Boy With Long Hair)", although
thanks to the latter's swagger I have a hard time truly classifying it as a
ballad.
So that's it waveriders.
If your hard rock/heavy metal listening life has grown a tad bit
bludgeoning and monochromatic, why not add a heaping helping of good cheer with
One More For The Road from The New Roses? Side effects include happiness, head nodding,
fist pumping, toe tapping, and male pattern baldness. Okay, that last one is a lie. I just needed to make sure you were paying
attention. Have fun my friends!
-Penfold
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