Steevi Jaimz doesn't have one of rock's great voices, but then again neither does Ozzy Osbourne, and look what happened to him. What he can do though, is deliver a rock song with lusty, ragged edged bravado.
The Tigertailz story and all the ugly details have been well documented. Suffice to say, Jaimz is back, this time with Swedish production and song writing collaborators, Chris Laney and Anders Ringman, aka Platform (Crash Diet/Europe).
'My Private Hell' is a glammy swirl of sweet hooks and a caustic "up yours" attitude (in more ways than one). Platform's production seems a bit thin in places, but it's sturdily constructed, well enough to allow Jaimz to strut his stuff without distraction.
Lyrically, the album quickly develops two themes. The first celebrates the fact that Jaimz is still alive and, well . . . still crazy, after all these years (the album title and crucifixion pose on the cover each being something of a dead giveaway). The second is the more familiar rock album staple of fractured (and occasionally fractious) relationships.
The songwriting triumvirate's alliance pays off immediately with openers
'Amazing' and '
Don't Say It's Over' (also written with Ryan Roxy). Laney's typically tight power chords punctuate Jaimz's vocals before they all join hands on the bridge and suddenly spiral upwards, into a punchy, catchy hook.
But there's darkness here too. One on one emotional connections are all about the visceral thrill.
'Little Sistah' and
'Kiss Of Death' are both pumped up, hard edged, glam rock songs, with an audible
Def Leppard influence.
Talking of which,
'I Don't Wanna Walk Away', the album's standout by a considerable margin, is all the better for ditching the guitars (almost) and wheeling in the pianos, then welding these to slick, hypercharged harmonies and a grown up lyric.
'Something Good, Something Bad' doesn't trail too far behind in the standout stakes. It spins on a smoky, Stonesy riff, but the chorus sounds more like something the
Hanoi Rocks wished they'd written in their prime.
Sure, it's cliché ridden, but we're not expecting Pulitzer Prize material on a rock album.
Clearly, Jaimz has followed his instincts, and thanks to Laney and Ringman, he's come back stronger than anyone would have imagined.
Written by
Brian Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Show all reviews by BrianRatingsBrian: 7/10Members: 8.5/10 - Average of 1 ratings.
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 | YNGWIEVIKING
Rating: 8.5/10
yep this album by STEEVI JAIMZ is suprising good !
Yep ,his voice is not the more impress... · Read more · |
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