This is the fifth time around for Frederic Slama's
AOR project, and features the usual. Lots of musicians, a rotating stable of vocalists, and ultra smooth music straight from the westcoast. "Dreaming of L.A." and "L.A. Reflection" were perhaps a tad more dreamy, but the latest, "L.A. Attraction" also sports some nice tuneage even if it seems like its pointed towards a more hard rock direction. This is something that kind of distracts but also helps to set this piece apart from the rest of the
AOR back catalogue, for better or for worse sometimes.
Approximately half the album has the vocals handled by
Philip Bardowell who is yet again reunited with Tommy Denander. His "In the Cut" solo album seems to be echoed here, loud and clear as the two combine to form a powerful force under the wing of Slama's
AOR. The songs are fine spun to fit Bardowell's voice and the sound is cool and crystal clear, meeting expectations for a disc with Denander's name attached. The Tommy influence is a bit too strong at times though, overshadowing the typical Slama sound and replacing it with Denander's signature. This is anticipated since he does handle the majority of instrumentation including guitars, keyboards, bass and the all important programming.
Phillip sung songs include,
"How Could I Forget Her" that opens with a melodic rock punch that hits harder than anything I can recall in the band's previous history. It is very much power packed with an uptempo Foriegner-meets-Toto at the crossroads feel. There is energy and heart here and the vibe is nice, but you are left craving something smoother. This is
AOR afterall.
"Like An Open Book" is a hefty ballad with lots of piano work that sounds terrific and is just overblown enough without falling into cheese territory. Tasteful, sweet rhythm guitars add a drifting touch that works well under these conditions.
More Bardowell belted goodness with
"L.A. Winds", a song that truly embraces the spirit of westcoast with arms wide open. Lovely and relaxing, like a winding road, snaking around palm tree dotted sandy beaches. The same can be said for the heartfelt
"I Won't Give Up On You", a saccharine, syrupy dessert treat that leaves you weak in the knees and dreaming, not of L.A., but of endless romance.
The best track has to go to
"One More Chance", sung not by the bigger name, but by J. Lynn Johnston, who has a great voice for this type of music. This is absolutely a song you would associate with the
AOR name, and has Slama's stamp all over it. 100% westcoast, and just fantastically done. Ditto for
"The House of Love", the other J. Lynn track. It has a little more pomp under the hood, and the chorus rings out with strength and conviction.
"Tears in the Rain" is typical westcoast/
AOR music but it has this absolutely delicious instrumental section that is so light its like diving into clear ocean waters on a breezy summer day. The chorus and so forth are a little on the unremarkable side, but those few moments of bliss make the song worthwhile.
"Give A Little Love" is another lazy piece submerged in a vat of love potion. The vocals are a bit off the beaten path, featuring a singer that's more R&B than
AOR. Dane Donahue's performance here works, but I think it would have really been better suited if paired with someone with smoother pipes. Then again, he hasn't released an album in 25 years so maybe that voice is a little rusty.
"The Spark of My Soul" has a swinging feel that lets
AOR collide head first with some bluesy touches. Really nice, and a cool turn for the album to take.
"Lost In Your Eyes" is as creamy fluff as it comes. The instrumentation is just pure dreamy.
Other songs just falter and fall flat, like
"Last Chance At Love" which tries too hard but is missing anything that resembles soul.
"Don't Ever Say Goodbye" is dodgy and just stinks of old cheese. The vocalist is stretching it too hard and his attempts at creating emotional impact seem downright silly.
What seems to be missing the most from "L.A. Attraction" is that link with L.A. Over the course of four albums Frederic made the "
AOR" project banner what you often thought of when recalling recent westcoast music, and unfortunately this album deviates too much from that. The vocalist stable is a bit weak this time too, making one wish that Steve
Overland or Goran Edman were reprising their spot here. They have voices tailor made for this musical niche, as
FM and
Street Talk (Edman) has proved, and their appearance would have been welcomed here.
For all the things that seem to have gone awry, it is still a very enjoyable disc. This L.A. trip is packed with lots of songs that take you to the heart of oceanside romance but it just doesn't quite stack up to the last two releases.
Written by
Alanna Thursday, February 9, 2006
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