When I first received this disc, I took one look at the cover and my first thought was "cheap" and "lame". It looks like some adult contemporary photo shoot opportunity, you know, those A/C artists that no one plays. anywhere, but yet they still pump out records that can literally stop your body from functioning just from the sheer slap happy sappiness of it all? Elevator music with vocals? Well, I was in for quite a surprise with this one, since it came bursting out as smooth as the richest of butters and as light and fluffy as mounds of whipped cream on top of an angel food cake.
The music would be the cake, the texture is light and unassuming, delicate even, and airy, but with an honest soulful warmth. The voice is the topping, cool creamy and soft. A generous helping that makes the music sound like a lovely luxury. Sugary and sweet, what you will find here is well made Westcoast that has a light European aftertaste, which comes as no surprise since
Jay Miles is from Switzerland and only migrated to the US to find fame (and fortune), instead he's simply found steady work with various recording sessions, enough to keep him afloat and offer the power to put this effort together.
A lot of talent is involved, from quite a few people that I have never heard of but according to the press release they are quite big in the Westcoast community, so I did some extra research and here's who they are and a few people they have worked with.
Steve Lukather is the only name I know, he's been guitarist for Toto, Hall & Oates, Cheap Trick, etc. Michael Thompson (Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Shania Twain) handles the rest of the guitarwork. Neil Stubenhaus on bass (Michael Bolton, Rod Stewart, Don Henley). Robbie Buchanan is on keyboards (Bon Jovi, Brian Adams, Christina Aguilera, Neil Diamond) but so is C.J. Vanston (Celine Dion, Tina Turner, B.B. King, Joe Cocker). I didn't bother listing all their credits because it would take up half a page, but if you have turned your radio on at all in the past decade, you have likely heard one of these guys playing their instrument of choice, and you just didn't know it!
This album is so like a fluffanutter sandwich that they needed two guys tickling ivories and is so lacking balls that they don't even need a drummer. But they have a bass player! Oh yes, there's a bass player, but no drummer. I think the disc would have sounded a little better with a skin beater, take away some of that programmed feel that pops up in little brief snippets from time to time. The disc is very well produced so this happens not as often as you would expect, but you would expect it to have decent production since it was in the hands of Mike Farrow who has apparently won 2 academy awards, and engineered by Greg Ladanyi who did 7 albums with Toto.
"Everlasting Love" is fantastic mid tempo
AOR with a breezy, relaxed feel and sugary sweet lyrics that could black out a diabetic, cold. Just like that. There's no angst here, it's nothing but pure, unfiltered, uncluttered, wuv. It's saccharine but if you are in the mood to bask in the glory of gooeyness of the heart, this will speak right to you.
"I Don't Want to Hold You" reminds me of Sting at times for some reason, except the chorus feels more like a bombastic
AOR ballad production. The kind where they let out most of the stops and just let the emotion hit you like a really heavy thingy. This time that emotion walks on the darker side, because this is love gone bad baby, oh so bad.
I love the simple yet heartfelt croon of
"Angel", the pompous guitar encrusted 80s rock out fest
"Lonely" that is like
Chicago meets
Journey at the crossroads that has some punch in it. This one does exceptionally well on replays.
"Still Believe In Love" has a modern hint in the way the electric guitars are arranged, and the vocals are thrust up front and left to be raw and honest.
"Back On the Street" has a cool groove and some musical meat to back it up. Not bad at all.
"Sending All My Love" is another sickly sweet piece that kind of overdoes it but will make the hearts of the middle aged flutter and if
Jay Miles was this generation's heart throb pop star, then teenyboppers across the world would be swooning with weak knees over the pure love here. Too bad most kids in that age range look like they've walked off of the Vampire Love movie set these days.
The background music is left to drown for
"What About Us" and the backup vocals are a little on the cheesy side which are bothersome.
"Safe" is so lovely though, its message is heartfelt and put across with an innocent sweetness that is very attractive. Easy to listen to and very safe, in fact.
Jay Miles isn't looking to ruffle feathers, he wants his music to float like one, and he succeeds.
"Grandpa's Chair" could be a country song, its got the lyrics and all it needs is some down home dressin' up instead of this more pop friendly approach. It's the only song on here that makes me sort of physically nauseated, the rest is pleasant pap but something like this.should be left for the aging sentimental crowd. Then again, this album could fall into that trap as well, so leave it be I suppose. Not that it's a bad song, it's just extremely sappy.
"I'm Still Breathing" breaks up the monotony with a few things. There's some cool effects used on the vocals that warp them out of shape for a moment or two. Very nifty and oddly fitting where used. The guitars are also making their appearance known nice and proud with some bubbly riffs that float to the surface, the notes are all pretty and shiny.
The album closes with
"I Can't Make You Love Me" which is just a beautiful, wistful ballad that relies mostly on the vocals of Miles and a few heartbroken acoustic guitar strings. They are playing it safe, but they also pull on the soul for this one.
"9 Hours" won't get you rockin' but will wind you down after a rough day. The closest match in my mind would be last year's
Crossfade release, which benefited by having the magnificent Goran Edman in the vocal spot. If that caught your fancy then likely this will too. The only issue is there's not alot of songs that are memorable as individuals, this is more of a package deal which is a shame really. So many tunes are well done but lack that something extra special to standout which does affect the final verdict. For it's genre,
Jay Miles' sugary style is prime beef from an overall perspective, so if this is what you are looking for, go ahead and eat it up, I know I did when the mood was right.
Written by
Alanna Sunday, June 12, 2005
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