This is an open forum for staff members, contributers, and fans alike to submit their reviews on the latest music releases and concerts. In an industry that is drowning with overprocessed, grossly overrated, unoriginal crap these days, this is our chance to allow the real stars to shine, if only on our humble, little stage; and expose you to some of our favorite talents.
Reviews are given 1 - 5 stars.
1. Built To Last
2. Rhythm Of Rain
3. Frequently Baby (She’s A Teenage Maniac)
4. For A Lifetime
5. Drive Away
6. Can’t Hold On
7. Imitation
8. Love Carries On
9. She’s Gonna Find Me Here
10. Biggest Mistake
11. You Got
12. Stand Up
13. You Make My Dreams
With summer just over a month away, it seems only fitting that bands start putting out some great records to drive to with the windows rolled down. Melee, a pop rock quartet hailing from Orange County, California, has released what is a pretty good album for doing just that. Devils and Angels, released on April 3, is packed with 80’s pop rock fun with a modern day edge.
The album’s opener “Built to last” is an upbeat love song that commences with a piano riff being played in mono before the band kicks in. Melee’s strong rhythm section, comprised of Ricky Sans on guitar, Ryan Malloy on bass and Mike Nader on drums, drive the song along while front man Chris Cron evens out the foursome with his rich, smooth piano melodies and strong on-point vocals.
“Frequently Baby (She’s a Teenage Maniac)” is a rousing up-tempo number complete with falsetto ‘woo-hoo’s’ and a sing-song chorus so catchy that the word ‘infectious’ almost seems an understatement. Each time I hear it, I can’t help but picture a dance montage in any cheesy 80’s movie, which is by no means a bad thing. In addition, it has one of the best lyrics on the entire record with Cron delivering the equally biting and clever, “This was supposed to be my hit song, but then I wasted it all on you.” “Biggest Mistake” follows the same formula, with biting lyrics, a catchy chorus highlighted by gang vocals, and music that begs the listener to sing along to at full volume.
Other noteworthy cuts include the mid-tempo rocker “Drive Away,” and “For a Lifetime,” which starts off with just Cron’s vocals and a piano melody, but quickly turns into a melodic and seemingly introspective look into Cron’s past as he sings, “Every day is a lifetime/back to the beginning again. About 1:45 into “You Got,” the band spins into a breakdown that I can’t help compare to the 80’s hit “Weird Science.”
The downside to Devils and Angels is that while the up tempo songs held my interest and had me singing along, I found that I couldn’t quite get into the slower tunes. “Can’t Hold On” and “She’s Gonna Find Me Here” are worthwhile piano driven ballads, but they lack the freshness and energy of the more upbeat tunes and I found myself skipping over them in search of Melee’s more fun tracks.
Thankfully, the album’s high points out number the low points.
In befitting fashion, Devil’s and Angels concludes with a bouncing true to form rendition of Hall and Oates’ ‘You Make My Dreams.’ It is the perfect note to end an album that is not without its flaws, but still worth a spin on the car stereo on a nice summer day.
Reviewed by: Ryan Labbe | May 2007
