Artist: Great White
   Title: Back To The Rhythm
   Label: Frontiers Records

This is the first studio album in 8 years from Great White and it's unfortunate that at times it sounds as if the band are stuck in a rut, almost as if the they're not willing to push themselves from their comfort zone.

You've still got the thumping bluesy rock songs such as 'Back To The Rhythm' and 'Was It The Night' that they're well known for, but 'Take Me Down' is a tad on the wrong side of "plod-along", sounding as if it was a bit of an effort to get through with no real spark to it, though Jack Russell's vocals try and drag it out to bring it to life a bit more but just doesn't make it work.

Saying all of that, 'Here Goes My Head Again' has a couple of neat touches with the slight echo effects on the guitar and vocals that make the song stand out just that bit more from the rest.  While the simplicity of 'I'm Alive' with it's acoustic guitar and vocal harmonies throughout make it as good a "soft rock" track you'll hear anywhere at the moment and is the best of the ballads on the album.

The very stonesy '30 Days In The Hole' with it's leg-pulling beginnings is possibly the only song I've heard that mentions the legendary Newcastle Brown Ale, so full marks for Great White on this song!!!

Sadly after such an uplifting song the album sort of fizzles out with the rather lacklustre 'Just Yesterday' that sums up this album in parts, meaning that it probably won't hit the heady heights of the double platinum 'Twice Shy' that proves the theory of a tried and tested formula doesn't always work.

It's just a pity that Great White didn't push the boat out just that bit further and take a chance on turning a fairly run of the mill album from them and making one that stands out a bit more within today's music climate.

* Review by Bob.

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