Glitterati - Are You One Of Us (DR2)
Second album from a band believed dead and buried.
It's been five years since the debut, so it's hardly a band or a label capitalising on the considerable impact of that first release.
Just dripping with insouciant, streetsmart cool, 'Are You One Of Us' swaggers and sways with corrosive riffs, caustic lyrics, massive melodies and razorsharp hooks.
So, thankfully, no radical reinvention. More a controlled collision between the Wildhearts' adult pop madness and the Hanoi Rocks' elegant, glammy hard rock.
'Your Idea', 'Overnight Superstar' and 'Shanty' flirt with greatness, just bursting with rocket fuel energy, explosive tunes and adrenaline pumping hooks, with the occasional nod to Rivers Cuomo, garage metal and Tesla. Yes, Tesla. (listen to 'Shanty')
No disrespect to DR2 Records, but this band should be on a major, no argument.
Morre - Out There (Independent)
Canadian band Morre's 'Out There' is hard to pin down, impossible to pigeonhole and therefore a reviewer's nightmare.
More than that, it's not immediately attractive.
The trio's musical imprint, ranging from mock Flamenco rock to leisurely, lounge lizard crooning is sometimes theatrical, sometimes understated, often mixing both in an ambitious, inventive attempt to defy conventions.
Take 'Playing With Fire'. It goes all the way back to US Westcoast sixties rock, where a myriad of styles are threaded together to create a colourful new creation, or 'Brand New Tide', a fresh perspective which could easily be styled on Arthur (Love) Lee's fragile acoustic rock.
It's often allusive and introspective, displaying an open mindedness, a gift for sinuous melodies and a keen ear for arrangements that cut across genres.
It takes time, but eventually you get it, and the disc becomes a semi permanent fixture in the old Walkman / Ipod / Blackberry, depending how cutting edge you are.
'In My Vein' is probably the most accessible track here, though the live 'Under The Lights' makes a late bid for glory. But to be honest, picking a standout track is futile, as the overall effect on this slow growing, but ultimately rewarding album, is clearly cumulative.
Robin Brock - Monsters (Independent)
Brock's impressive second outing, 'Hidden Power' was produced by the legendary Keith Olsen, and featured guest players, Tim Pierce, Jeff Pilson and James Kottak.
Despite the talent involved and the ensuing critical acclaim, it didn't propel her into the rarified atmosphere of rock'n'roll fame after all.
But she's back and even more determined, with new release, 'Monsters', produced by John Capek. Capek is a writer, musician and arranger who's written material for Heart, Chicago, Toto, Cher and many others.
As the title suggests, 'Monsters' is a raging, heavy rock leviathan, its moves orchestrated by strident guitars and detonating rhythms.
Brock's voice commands a bunch of muscular melodies, twisting and turning through volcanic riffage and clattering beats.
Nothing could be described as immediate, and stylistically it's a restless recording.
But some tracks grow fast. 'Master And Slave' has a strong contemporary rock feel, on this occasion softened by Brock's appealing vocal tone.
The rudely amusing 'Two Words' will recall Heart at their most abrasively melodic, and 'Pieces' reminds me fondly of one of my guilty pleasures, Jane Wiedlin . . . there's a hint of the great 'Rush Hour' here.
Being an independent release, 'Monsters' has its work cut out to gain the attention of the uninitiated, but a rising tide of good reviews seems to be doing the trick.
One to watch.
Sedona - Golden Valley (Avenue Of Allies)
Sedona's Patrick Liotard is clearly a huge fan of Westcoast music as performed by US stalwarts, old and new, like Airplay, Don Henley, Toto etc etc.
And in fairness, 'Golden Valley' is more of a triumphant entry to the genre than simply a tribute. Liotard wears his influences well, cutting his cloth to suit today's audience, integrating his own ideas into a timeworn landscape.
'Surfing State Of Mind' is a class act. Cleanly constructed within a colourful guitar framework, it is as muscular as this music gets.
'Golden Valley' and 'California Ballad' drift lazily into Jeff Larson, Boz Scaggs territory. Tuneful, sun dappled soft rock, never impatient, frequently with purpose and always gloriously optimistic.
'Sweet Wave Of Sunset' borrows heavily from Chicago, while the lyrical instrumentals 'Laguna' and 'Sedona' recall Neal Zaza at his most reflective.
The only criticism that could be levelled at Sedona, the band, is the lack of a truly distinctive vocalist, but I believe that may be remedied for the next release.
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