Philip Bardowell makes his solo renewal with this excellent album that is sure to please any fans of
AOR in its purest form. This isn't the first Bardowell album, he had a solo one out a few years back called "In a Perfect World" after his stint with The Beach Boys (yep - he was the lead guitarist and vocalist for five years till he left to embark on a solo career). It also isn't some modernesque take on the music or an attempt at resurrecting the 80s, despite being full of songs that were written during the era, it's just timeless, classic
AOR. The kind that has a great vocal performance, chock full of emotion, tight songs that are brimming with melody and catchy choruses, and even a generous amount of keyboards as the icing on the cake.
The three piece unit here tackles the musical assortment with a fevered passion. Daniel Flores from Novak and proggy outfit Xsavior is pounding the skins and Tommy Denander is handling everything else besides the singing. That would include guitars, keys and bass and he does a fantastic job throughout. Denander has been all over the place in recent years, popping up even when you least expect it, and his efforts sometimes vary but on this particular disc he seems quite inspired. There's always just the right amount of instrumentation, big and bold enough to knock off your socks but backs off enough to let the vocals breathe.
This is an
AOR album that definitely makes "the cut". A slew of writers deliver a melting pot of songs that you would think could muddle the disc, since the majority of tracks up on the offering block were written with someone else belting them in mind, but instead it leads to having just one smashing cut after another. If anything, "In the Cut" gets better as the disc moves along, climaxing in the middle with a one-two punch of the insanely addictive up tempo Curt Cuomo and Harry Paress penned track
"Never Too Late For Love" and the more middle road Bobby Barth piece
"It's A Long Road". The pinnacle of the whole affair is likely the fantastic
"Dreamin' With My Eyes Wide Open". It may have
the title of a country song but is melodic rock through and through. How this has stayed dormant for so long is a mystery, since rumor has it that
Jim Peterik wrote this thing over fifteen years ago. With its bountiful chorus and blossoming melodies it's easy to see that it came from another decade. However, with a new sheen of glossy production shining off its musical surface like a diamond, it sounds like a million bucks.
"Never Too Late For Love" however seems to steal the show as the song of the disc. From the very first note it's instantly apparent that this is special indeed. A massive chunk of
AOR goodness, and the record company was wise enough to see its potential as this was used as the clip in online ads for the promotion of the disc. Why? Because that chorus is so addictive it's like musical crack and Philip's delivery of the line
"I know it's late bay-bee" just smashes the doors down to the soul. So poppy it's impossible to not succumb to its charms.
"In the Cut" opens the disc with a rockin' bang. Denander's guitars are high flying and mix well with the pulse pounding keyboards that have this strangely satisfying cold, electronic sound. The intensity is brought to an abrupt halt with the gorgeous
"Through My Eyes" which sounds very much like a Mark Spiro song. Oh wait...it is!
Giant is also a close match soundwise. Beautiful and loving, a song to hold close to the heart.
"One Day In January" is like a journey all in itself. Laid back and quite moody, it takes a turn for the sparse, a nice contrast to the overblown theatrical productions seen elsewhere, and that allows the track to pop out amongst the others by being unique. The casual pacing and bluesy undertones is reminiscent of Brazen Abbot's "Restless in Seattle" from "Eye of the Storm" back many years ago.
"She Will Never Know" is another great one, this time penned by
Philip Bardowell and has a similar soothing vibe as
"January". Some unusual guitars crop up here as little flourishes, but it's the backbone of the riffing that keeps it grounded in this comfortable rhythm. The vocals are laid on top very relaxed and he seems to know just how to write a piece to fit his vocal style to show its finest side. The track fits in seamlessly with the others, proving that Bardowell can hold his own as a writer too, since it must be difficult to put your material up next to such an all-star, can't miss lineup. In fact, this is one of the best cuts on the whole album!
"Heart of a Hero" by
Stan Bush also deserves a quick mention. The lyrics are a bit on the clichéd side, but it's such a feel-good piece that you can't help but to fall in love with that much repeated chorus that just soars.
"I Gotta Believe" is one of those over emotive ballads that almost runs into being cheesy before its completion. Very pretty, but it lacks some punch somewhere. Nicely done and puts the word power in the term "power ballad".
Philip Bardowell may not be a "name" yet despite his involvement with Unruly Child, but with a great disc like this one it's easy to see him becoming another big name player in the
AOR game for the future to come. "In the Cut" is of the same high quality standards as the surprise breakout release of the year in the genre: Hartmann's "Out In the Cold". As a toss up between the two, I'd say get both because they each have their strengths. This disc's weakness is perhaps being too safe, but if you are in the mood for
AOR it's hard to beat something like this. Highly recommended for those that enjoy Lou Gramm's solo releases, Radioactive,
Giant, Unruly Child,
Survivor and a million other bands and solo artists.
Written by
Alanna Tuesday, October 11, 2005
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