Newman
Siren
AOR Heaven
2013
Certainly, Newman is not the new kid on the block; his raspy voice is known to most AOR/melodic rock lovers all over the world. “Siren” is his 9th studio album since he started in 1997.
As for “Siren”… I’ll put my head above the parapet. Under no circumstances is the album bad but it is not superb either; think… something above average. You see, when something isn’t “catchy” enough in AOR or it gives you the feeling you already know what’s coming next, then it tends to be cliché… but let us take things from the very beginning.
“Siren” has some sing-alongs with strong melodies and hooks, some other quite nice songs punctuated with heavier riffs skillfully performed and a bunch of others which fall into mediocrity. The album might have been a real killer during the 80s - its vibe evokes an 80s feeling - when the scene was still virgin, but in our time it is far more difficult to amaze as the specific genre is fraught with monthly releases. Some really good songs here are: “Scar of Love”, “Had Enough”, “Another Bitch of a Night”, “Feel Her Again” and “When it Comes to Love”.
If you don’t expect to be taken aback by “Siren” or any sort of innovation, should you choose to purchase it, then dear reader, I guess you will have a nice time listening to it.
As for “Siren”… I’ll put my head above the parapet. Under no circumstances is the album bad but it is not superb either; think… something above average. You see, when something isn’t “catchy” enough in AOR or it gives you the feeling you already know what’s coming next, then it tends to be cliché… but let us take things from the very beginning.
“Siren” has some sing-alongs with strong melodies and hooks, some other quite nice songs punctuated with heavier riffs skillfully performed and a bunch of others which fall into mediocrity. The album might have been a real killer during the 80s - its vibe evokes an 80s feeling - when the scene was still virgin, but in our time it is far more difficult to amaze as the specific genre is fraught with monthly releases. Some really good songs here are: “Scar of Love”, “Had Enough”, “Another Bitch of a Night”, “Feel Her Again” and “When it Comes to Love”.
If you don’t expect to be taken aback by “Siren” or any sort of innovation, should you choose to purchase it, then dear reader, I guess you will have a nice time listening to it.