Having listened to this album (well, everything apart from the Saifam tracks - they will be permanently omitted from my reviews) three times over now, I can form my first opinions of the full tracks:
LEGENDARY HEART / Hotblade
It's been a while since an SCP track grabbed by the throat and really shook me around with its power and energy, but this track totally achieves that. I adore the synth hook and the melodic hooks in the vocals ("LEEEGEEEENDAAAAAREEEE HEEEAAAARRTTT") are just awesome. The chorus sounds straight out of an anime series (that's a compliment!) and this track walks all over Plastic in terms of replay appeal and sheer musical brilliance. A fantastic start to the new SEB decade!
WHEELPOWER & GO! / Dejo & Bon
Oh WOW!! That guitar solo during the intro and the stomping notes when the beat drops are just mouth-wateringly amazing!! Sinclaire really pulled it out the bag for this track in terms of production! The vocals during the verse could have done with a bit more volume and intent, and the chorus is still a little generic on the whole, but as a whole I am left feeling that this is one of the best male SinclaireStyle tracks ever to have graced SEB. The hark-backs to the old-school driving-themed tracks is a nice touch too with the engine noises.
SUNDAY MORNING / Vicky Vale
Quirky and cute is how I would describe this track, but with a killer synth hook. Clara's vocals are on top form, and the vocal melody is quite commercial while still sounding true to the Delta female Eurobeat style. Not much else to add, but this is a really tuneful track that is like a gentle ray of sunshine amongst all of the male power and aggression.
CHERRY LIPS / Francis Cooper
I'm going to say it again but...OH WOW!!! Those chugging, menacing guitars during the intro were really unexpected, but they set this track up beautifully as they show the depth to the production. It's weird to say that this is the fastest HRG track on the album, but I think the BPM is just right for this melody and style. The vocal melody is pure ear-candy - those irresistible ascending scales in the chorus in particular just make me smile every time. This is new Hi-NRG Attack at its very best - using all of those synth hits and italo-inspired patterns from the past but teaming them up with a really perfect melody in the vocal line. Bravo!!
FALLIN' IN LOVE AGAIN (FASHION VERSION) / Jay Lehr
After a few listens, this version is actually starting to make a bit more sense to me than the SCP Eurobeat Version. The italo beat and bassline allow the soulful vocal melody to shine, and although there are certain points where I feel that a few more synth flourishes would really raise the energy of this track, I also feel like this is a really nice chill-out track with a perfect cut.
THE HOUSE OF FIRE / Dave Rodgers
One more time...OH WOW! Here, we finally have a Sun Fire track that I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoy, and I know the reason behind it. The synth hook reminds me heavily of Mega NRG Man's classic "Grand Prix" - a hark-back to the glory days of A-Beat C. The chorus has me thinking of "El Dorado" - a track from a time when I thought A-Beat C were at their absolute pinnacle. And the overall style and delivery of the track by Dave is just steeped in this sense of history and classic Eurobeat elements. Shame that A-Beat C's beats and bass sounds are still missing, but this track is the closest I've heard that the old magic hasn't escaped Mr. Rodgers.
I BELIEVE IN MIRACLE / Lilly
I like the piano riffs in this one - it gives it a sort of 90's house feel. Sadly, I still get the overall feeling like this is a mish-mash of several different "works in progress" from the Hi-NRG Attack archive. The vocals, especially during the chorus, remind of Samantha Fox - perhaps a bit odd, but true! It annoys me that there is no real separation between the bridge and chorus - the beat should drop out or there should be a synth flourish or strong cymbal crash at least. With a bit more work on the production (and probably a few more BPMs), this could've been another very happy smilie - but for now, it's just a...
...oh, and your MIRACLE is missing an -S at the end Lilly...
MAKE ME WONDER / Destinee
Are you ready for my biggest surprise of the album? I wasn't expecting much from this one at all (despite the fact that I love Dima) as Wonderwoman Dream was a bit of a disappointment. Thankfully, the melody in this one is just sooooo awesome that it really lets Destinee finally shine! The song really sounds like it is telling a story, and the production supports the vocals beautifully without ever trying to out-shine them. And that last line of the chorus where it sounds like there's going to be a key change had me grinning so much - I love song-writing like that, where every measure has a different surprise.
DON'T WANNA BE A SURVIVOR / David Dima
I always expect great things from Mr. Dima in his artist guise, and this track doesn't disappoint. Again, the melodies in this one are just awesome throughout - probably slightly more generic compared to other Dima tracks, but when the production and delivery are so assured then I really don't mind if certain melodic phrases sound a little familiar. I cannot pick out a single fault from this track and it joins a very long list of favourites from this album so far - deciding my top 3 is going to be virtually impossible at this stage!!
GOGO THE NIGHT / Garcon
I love the hypnotic Euro-trancey synth lines during the intro, but the synth hook is a little odd - it sounds very much like it is aimed at the Japanese audience, but I don't really understand where it fits in to this track. The way the bass keeps dropping out during the verse irritates me quite a bit - it leaves the production sounding incomplete. Also, the vocals are a little coarse and could use some effects to help them to sound less severe and harsh in places. A bit of an odd one, and again I feel that it's just a bit too slow to make the song work.
LONELY / Futura
Now, if I here anyone complaining about slower "trancey-styled" SCP tracks not being Eurobeat after this song, I'm going to scream! This song sounds so much like an Ann Lee reject (yes, I am talking about the easy-listening Eurodance alias of Annerley Gordon). The instrumentation is so wispy and bland, and the beat and bass hits so sparse that it really just highlights the imperfections in Futura's vocal style (I still think she sounds like she's about 8 years old). More "meat" is required in the production, and a few less random interludes and endings would also help to turn my opinion round about this artist.
LET'S GET IT DONE TONIGHT / Ken Laszlo
Now unlike the previous track, this song takes a fairly commercial old-school style (mainstream disco) and injects a massive dose of Eurobeat sparkle and pizazz to really make it shine. The synth hook is just irresistible, and I love the way that the first chorus starts off really quiet and minimalistic before building up to the explosive beat drop and that disco bass and strings. This actually reminds me a lot of late 90's Almighty productions (which I always had a bit of a soft spot for) so although it will probably split the audience with its unorthodox representation of Eurobeat, I can only hear a classic disco stormer in the making.
I WON'T FALL APART (Rock Power Version) / Jager
I adore the power and venom behind this one. The beat is so brash yet it still keeps the steady 4/4 rhythm during the chorus which gives the track a nice bounce that other rock tracks maybe lack. This style also suits Jager's vocals a lot more than the Original Demo version, and overall I just love the fact that this version reminds me why I enjoyed this track in the first place - for the amazingly catchy melodies!
So yeah, can you tell I'm pretty much loving this new album?!! Seriously, if this is the shape of things to come this decade, I can't wait for 2nd March already!!
