Artist: Shade 
   Title: One Way Line
   Label: MusicBuyMail Records

In a world of male orientated rock and metal music, when a female fronted band shows signs of improving the Status Quo people begin to sit up and take notice and with Shade, led by Emma Shade, things are beginning to look up.  Plus when you add into the mix former Dare members Simon Gardner and Andrew Moore, the recipe for success seems even more promising.

'One Way Line' is an album that promises much with the array of talent behind the band and things get off to a promising start with ‘It’s Alright’.  This mid tempo slice of Melodic Rock gives us an instant liking to Emma’s vocals as they clearly promise a lot with their sultry tones.

Things continue in a similar vein with ‘Lean On Me’, another gentle pop rock effort.  Again the vocals promise such a lot but never quite reach the dizzying heights you expect.  You just want her to scream and shout and really rock out and the guitars don’t really make their mark on the track as would like.

It's melodic pop rock all the way with ‘Should Have Let Me Go’ and ‘Save Me’, both tracks very much in the Heart mould, as is much of the album, which really shows off Shades vocals well, but I would perhaps like to hear something a little more rockier mid way through the album, just to mix it up a little.

Saying that the tempo does pick up a little with ‘All I Am’ but things still remain more pop rock than just rock and this takes you away from what is a good AOR album.

The album continues with the likes of ‘I’ll Hold On’, ‘Now It’s For Real’ and ‘Maybe This Time’ being my favourites of the rest.  But sadly the lacking of some meaty guitar riffs really throws this reviewer in turmoil as I want to praise this album more as Emma has a really great voice, and Gardner and Moore are outstanding musicians, but they really missed a great opportunity to impress the masses with this album and will only appeal to the diehard AOR fans who like some easy listening with their pipe and slippers.  So let's hope for something a little more rockier in the vain of the opener for the next album, because the quality is certainly there and it would be a shame not to capitalize on it.

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