Wow what an album! I've tried to hold back on this one for awhile and let the euphoria die down a little before throwing it against the wall and seeing what songs would "stick" in the long run and which ones would slide off into oblivion, but with
Crossfade's "White On Blue", this simply is not happening. The music is completely spellbinding, and absolutely smooth. There is not a smoother disc out there yet from this year and as 2004 comes to a close, without a doubt this will still take the trophy as the easiest disc to listen to. The foundation is pure
AOR/Westcoast, a mixture of many bands including Mr. Mister and Toto but I hear others in there as well, namely
Chicago (early 70s) influences and what could be a nod to
Valensia but is likely just another offspring of
Queen. Some of the songs remind me very much of the airy bombastic thing that Dutch
Queen worshipper,
Valensia does so well, with lavish keyboards and other twists and turns that make every song individually worthwhile on its own merits.
The disc has a lot to love, but especially the way the horns section has been implemented. This most likely is the reason images of
Chicago goes dancing through my head at times while listening to the disc, and while these brass instruments mostly take a backseat during the musical ride, there are times when they hop into the driver's seat for a cool saxophone solo or a blare of trumpet here and there that leads the listener down another turn on this unique musical ride that really should be the soundtrack for a leisurely drive in the countryside on a slightly chilly spring or early fall day.
Crossfade's players in the game all have decent pedigrees, the core duo, Lars Hallbaeck and Richard Stenstroem have been around, Richard being a highly regarded session keyboard player and Lars has been in various rock bands dating back to the 70s. Often thought of Sweden's numero uno drummer, Per Lindvall and his bass playing brother Sven tour with A-Ha and make a great rhythm section. Rock solid tight with a fluent feel, they pick up the music with grace. Often dismissed as being second banana players, having capable drummers and bassplayers are very crucial to any proceedings, and when missing and replaced with a drum machine, which happens far too often in the low budget realm of
AOR music, its a real treat to hear a solid bottom end tucked away on each song.
Then there's the singer, Goran Edman, which makes the package, musically almost complete already, even sweeter. Enraptured already by this man's voice, I must say that I have rarely heard him sound this good overall. While he can most likely sing any genre of music, he's done prog, power and even belted for Yngwie Malmsteen, its
AOR where he sounds most at home, so the deliveries here are belted straight from the heart and top notch in quality. Emotive and stealing the show with all the little nuances he throws in for impact, there's really no man better for the job than Edman. With anyone else at the vocal helm, the entire feel of "White on Blue" would have changed drastically, but Goran's silken voice that warps to howl or growl on a second's notice (neither of which is used here much, I will add), is the perfect match for this music.
Touching on a few of my favorites, the opener,
"The Day the Music Died - 9/11" is a wonderful song that is a passion laced tribute to the those who suffered through the tragic events and haunted feelings of the terrorist attacks that occurred on that horrific day. It carries the somber mood with some unique and laid back percussion and some very emotive vocals by Edman. Many bands have tried to cash in on the 9/11 thing and touch a nerve somehow but few have done it as tastefully as
Crossfade (my favorite still being Manowar's cover of "An American Trilogy").
"Did You Really" spawns dark lyrics but has a terrific upbeat mood and silky sound. That rhythmic bounce in the song's step just seals the deal for repeat spins. The relationship may be dead, gone and beaten into the ground but all-in-all it's death seems for the best if this song is to judge, and this one spreads it out for the world to decide the fate. The chorus soars into plush bombast (taking me into the realm of
Valensia), the guitar rips and roars with smoke trails coming off of its final notes which dives head first into jamming synthesizer that puts a little 70s groove thang on.
"Vanity Fair" is a fluttery tune that conjures the image of a butterfly flickering around on tiny delicate wings. It also enlists the backup of a legion of background vocals, all sounding very similar to Goran himself, with Edman just hamming up the lead, taking the spotlight and running with it. He stays in his usual rich range but will suddenly dive down with a twist right in the stomach, especially in the words "but that's another game." Touches like this get the blood pumping, and shows careful attention to detail which enriches a song so much beyond the typical moving from point A to point B with nothing in-between to enhance the experience.
Crossfade however, apparently know the necessity for this and that little bit from
"Vanity Fair" is just one example of a multitude of attention grabbing gimmicks that work while fading into the structure of the song perfectly.
"Flying" whips out the sax on a squawking solo that sizzles wonderfully with the confines of this jazzy little tune. If westcoast met jazz, this would be the resulting offspring. Definitely not for those that balk in the face of variety in their musical life for there's some unique percussion eased in here too in the forms of congas and bongos.
"Thorns of Life" is a touching piece that is 100% sorrow drenched ballad, exploring the emptiness of loneliness with lovely lyrics to carry you away on its dreamy chorus.
"Don't Really Matter" is a page right out of the
Street Talk book, a snappy chorus with crisp and cool harmonies that are softly faded as by the west coast sun, this would have been right at home on any of their three studio albums. Edman's vocals are breathless and beautiful here. Instantly catchy and eternally replayable.
But the song that deviates the most from the disc will probably be most people's fawning favorite is the album's closer, an excellently composed track that hammers the 'rock spirit' home,
"You", sports that "classic rock" feel with the hard working man vibe and honesty of Bruce Springsteen combo'ed up with a firecracker anthem-like chorus. The other ballads peppered inbetween are necessities to check out as well, like the casual almost gentle pacing of
"Time" and the depressed tenderness of
"A Deeper Shade of Love". This one proves that even in death, love never dies.
"Loving Eyes" has a slight acoustic twang that gives it a pop crossover country and western feel in places, but the chorus is juiced into the realms of melodic bliss, washing away what could have been an "off" lingering taste.
Crossfade's "White on Blue" is one of the best debuts in this genre I have heard in ages, perhaps the most standout since Silver's self titled stunning entry into the
AOR field, back a couple of years ago. Of course the musicians are not fresh faces and have been around the musical block a few times, and who better to sing this type of music than the godly Goran Edman? The only drawback from future wear and tear is that a few of the more gimmick driven songs might lose their steam such as
"Flying" which has the potential to crash and burn into tedium after the initial shine wears off, but the majority of the material offered up on the block here is so well thought out and composed that even with time wearing away at the edges these are still going to be replayable favourites months and even years from now. They just seem to have that special touch that makes them timeless, as if caught in a place where the fads of music cannot touch it to tarnish by making the music feel 'dated'. It's a testament to the breezy combination of styles that flow naturally together, very smooth, very laid-back, making this a good disc to just relax to, soak up all the musical goodness and revel in the rich production. Another top class entry into the field of Westcoast flavoured
AOR, and one to definitely get excited about. This is a must-buy for anyone that has CDs from
Street Talk,
AOR (the band, yes), or even
Valensia sitting on their shelves.
Written by
Alanna Monday, April 5, 2004
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