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'Against All
Odds' is the fourth studio release from this Long Island based quartet and
arguably their strongest so far, together with the added feature of guest
vocalist Glenn Hughes on four tracks, all goes to make this a
mouth-watering release from Rondinelli and the boys.
The album opens
up with 'I’m No Good' and straight away that 70’s vibe to the bands sound
is instantly recognisable. The band don’t dwell too heavily on the
70’s sound though as they bring the same vibe forward but with a more
modern edge to it.
Things continue
with that aforementioned edge on ‘Can't Fool Myself’, which starts off
with Patrick Klein on guitar and carries on with some excellent bass work
by Randy Pratt, and Di Meo harmonies make this an excellent mid tempo
rocker.
‘On A Wire’ is
the first of the four tracks to feature the Voice of Rock Mr. Glenn
Hughes. As he and Di Meo duet on this very bluesy track the first
inclination of the superb choice Hughes was for this task, and with him
and Di Meo having very similar vocals styles, this adds to the overall
magic of the duets, not only on this track but all four tracks that
feature Hughes.
‘Planck Time’ is
an instrumental which see Di Meo take a backseat as the rest of the band
give it their all on this very retro sounding track.
Things continue
with ‘Ariel’ which starts off with a very B movie horror keyboard vibe
interlaced with a rousing solo by Klien, before the track melts into ‘’My
Dark Angel’, a track that features some excellent haunting vocals from Di
Meo and a heavy bass undertone that adds to the very vein of the track.
The funky bluesy
bass vibe of ‘Bad Luck Is Come To Town’ leads nicely into the second track
to feature Hughes, the sensational ‘Revelation No.9’. A more solemn
affair than the previous tracks on the album and one which brings a nice
mid section change of pace to the album.
The tempo is
picked up once again with ‘Take The Fall’ and once again features Hughes
and Di Meo dueting with some style, with both vocalist interchanging from
verse to verse, both contributing to the chorus. The track also
feature that very 70’s Hammond keyboard sound but doesn’t overwhelm the
terrific vocal content of the track.
‘Up The Stairs’
is another funk bass ridden track complete with horn section and is the
last track to feature Hughes’s immaculate and instantly recognisable
vocals, which seem to gel so well with Di Meo’s own vocal style. I
can see further works by these two vocals bearing fruit in the not to
distant future.
The band delve into
the subtle ballads with ‘Eleven’, a track that comes complete with an
added orchestral section which adds depth to the track and which leads
nicely into the album closer ‘’The Arrival Of Lyla’. A more up tempo
track that highlights once again what a great vocal talent Di Meo really
is as the retro feel of the album is complete with the sixties style
chorus and rounds off what is a very impressive release indeed. |
