Hot on the heels of reviewing last night’s excellent melodic folkpop gig, here is a request review of Michael Monroe’s latest, a singer/multi-instrumentalist entirely new to me coming as he does from a glam rock pedigree which I do not know. My ignorance isn’t borne of the disregard I have for the 80s [by and large] by the way: the key word here is ‘Rock’ and so my proclivities lean towards rather than away: I just never listened at the time nor since, unless it plays on Planet Rock for example, or like now.
Monroe is Finnish and is best known by those who know as the
lead singer in band Hanoi Rocks [which is actually from the 80s, so they must
have been waylaid beneath the synth drumming et al of all the other stuff
I didn’t stick with].
But to this latest release. Opener TNT Diet is formulaic hard rock, the ‘TNT’ placing linguistic
markers for the heavy sound, and Monroe’s guitar shreds are indeed explosive,
though it comes and goes in forgettable if lively brevity. Next Ballad of the Lower East Side is New
York punk, both in style and language – a genuine sounding Brooklyn lilt to whores [not bad for a Finnish native] –
and I actually detect a little country twang in the guitar playing, so that is
a surprise. But nothing yet to really excite. Then third Eighteen Angels ignites the real TNT, an old-rock riff-heavy gem
that blows the preceding two out of their relative complacency. And there is in
this, as in others, a smattering of The Rolling Stones so I guess
that is a part of the appeal. It is actually in the harmonising chorus. When
the harmonica gets belted out I’m ecstatic – this is how rock should be played:
heavy blues in the influence. It’s a great song, especially extremely loud in
the car last night driving to that antithetical gig [music has to be the Art form that provides the broadest glorious range to like and love].
Next Saturday Night
Special returns to that formulaic rock sound I can take or leave. Fifth Stained Glass Heart is back to an RS
echo – just faint, and not pastiche – and I like this too, sounding like it wouldn’t
have been out of place on Voodoo Lounge.
Sixth, title track Horns and Halos,
is riff rich and marries heaviness with Roxy Music harmonies – no, really.
Another fine one. Other stand-outs for me are eighth Soul Surrender with its ironic reggae rhythms before it merges into
its grinding heaviness, and back again. Tenth Ritual showcases the vocal a la Billy Idol [I am a creature of
reference points when reviewing, I know] and eleventh Hands Are Tired has Monroe on saxophone and displaying his range,
though the song stays rooted in its glam/heavy/punk rock arena, and I’m fine
with that. Penultimate Happy Neverafter
is a clever title, the song rocking finely with bright harmonies, and closer Don’t Block the Sun is Monroe meets Tom
Petty, so in conclusion I will commend the rock-rooted eclecticism and
musicianship. And Eighteen Angels
will have a worthy place in my next ‘heavy’ compilation, as I suspect will one
or two others. An enjoyable discovery, thanks M.
Nice one! I know it's not your usual cup of tea, but glad you found parts enjoyable at least.
ReplyDeleteThe 70's glam and punk-influenced Hanoi Rocks were basically the template for 80's hard rock. Guns n' Roses were equal parts Hanoi and Aerosmith, definitely worth a dabble if you have time.