|
Artist: Fair Warning |
|
|
Now
this is the first time I’ve heard any recorded output from Fair
Warning, but was well impressed with them live at Firefest a couple of
years ago. They were
promoting the album Brother’s Keeper at that time and I did vow to get
hold of some of their material but never got around to it. This
new album, Aura was recorded in the mansion of a Record Company CEO the
band had become friends with and judging by the songs on here, they
should continue to use the place. Bass
player Ule Ritgen wrote 9 of the 12 songs although my promo copy
doesn’t have the bonus tracks, only 10 top class tunes.
Completing the Fair Warning line-up we have fretmeister Helge
Engelke (haven't a clue how to pronounce that!) CC Behrens on drums and
the outstanding Tommy Heart on vocals. The album kicks off in fine style with 'Fighting For Your Love', Tommy Heart’s vocals are reminiscent of Gotthard’s Steve Lee. There’s emotion and power combined within the song. The band displaying confidence in their craft especially Helge Engelke who’s guitar playing is a joy. 'Here Comes The Heartache' continues the flow, an uptempo slice of melodic rock. Tommy Heart once again proving his chops in the vocal department and Helge letting rip with some fine lead breaks. The acoustic driven 'Hey Girl' slows things down for a short while before Helge let’s rip once more. There’s some wonderful Queen melodies in this song, while Ule (bass) and CC Behrens (drums) pin down the rhythm. Next up is 'Don’t Count On Me' and is another up-tempo track with more guitar weaving from Helge while Tommy lays down another excellent vocal. 'Falling' is a slower number but has a spacey feel to it as befits the title. 'Holding On' is a bluesy number and I just love some of the tones on Helge’s guitar. Another emotive, melodic vocal from Tommy makes this a great song. Next track 'Walking On Smiles' has a more contemporary feel to it, with Ule’s rolling bass-lines and Helge’s sublime fretwork. 'Someday' begins very unassumingly before morphing into Queen, even down to the lead break. This is a powerful song showcasing the band’s confidence in the material they’ve written. Tommy Heart’s vocal performance underpins the song while Helge burns the fretboard. Next up is a favourite of mine, 'As Snow White Found Out'. Another unassuming beginning but the chorus just grabs the listener, you can practically hear the crowd singing along when the band play this live. 'Station
To Station' is another fave and starts off with some funky guitar from
Helge. The song bobs and
weaves along in the verses until the chorus, where the melody just takes
over. This album has played it’s way into my top 3 albums of the year so far, and I can see it still being there at the end of the year. There’s a swagger and bravado about the songs on here, each one resonating and breathing with confidence. There’s not one song where you think that’s a weak link. The band has really stretched themselves with this release, they sound confident and the material has depth and focus to it. All in all this is an outstanding piece of work. Review by: Brassy |
|
|
Tracklisting: 1.
Fighting For Your Love
|
|
|
All content copyright of The Mayfair Mall Zine unless otherwise stated. |
|