Human Zoo's third album opens with an overly familiar guitar riff, reinforced by a strident, overly familiar keyboard. What follows is an overly familiar verse, bridge, chorus blueprint, underpinned by call and response vocals, building to a crescendo of thumping chords and full blooded harmonies. It's a well worn - some might say threadbare - formula. One that has been skilfully used, time and time again, by European bands like Fair Warning, Zeno, Gotthard, Hush and others.
An understanding of rocket science is not required to appreciate that, for a formula that's worn thin with use, the secret to making it work for you still is to write great songs, otherwise your music just won't stand out.
And that's where Human Zoo's music falls down. It's inconsistent, patchy. Some good songs interspersed with the mediocre, and even a polished, dressy production, often bombastic, (very) occasionally finely wrought, doesn't paper over the songwriting clichés.
On the upside
, 'Everything Changes' is an evocative melodic rock song, in the vein of John Waite. '
Gimme Your Time' and
'Fall In Love' aspire to the greatness of Treat, while the obligatory ballad,
'Hold & Care' passes muster, despite excruciating lyrics, and is the only track where an otherwise overused saxophone really works.
No doubt, fans will like '
Eyes Of A Stranger', but others will not be convinced.
Style: Melodic Rock
Rating: 5/10Posted by
Brian - Thursday, July 21, 2011
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