Not knowing what to expect, I took the Rockfords with me on a day of errands. The first track, “Adelaide”, starts off as a pop rocker and then the guitar solo comes straight out of a hair band video. I didn’t get the connection because it didn’t fit at all. “Flashes” is another rocker, and guess what? I started to like it, but they spoiled this one, too. Not only is the solo out of place, but singer Carrie Akre of Goodness lets out an ungodly screech that tore my eardrums apart.
“Silver Lining” is a nice ballad. This time the solo doesn’t actually intrude on the song and the string section at the end is a nice touch. “Distress” is another slow jam. This is where the band is at their best. No gratuitous guitar effects or attempted over-singing. “Riverwide” is a slow song with a twist, as Nancy Wilson of Heart takes over the mic. And it sounds like something out of the ’80’s. Yuck.
Even though the band is made up of a handful of artists from other groups, most notably Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and three members of the group Goodness, this still isn’t a great album. McCready overplays and the band can’t seem to figure out what in the world they want to sound like. I’m sure if asked they’d all say this was just an experiment. And that is exactly what it sounds like.
+ rae gun
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