www.michaelarmstrongmusic.co.uk [Release date 25.06.21]
London-born, singer songwriter Michael Armstrong releases his third studio album, which going by the press releases is a modern take on the ‘Yacht Rock’ genre. As Michael explains – “In 2018 I was invited to join US singer songwriter Ben Folds at a retreat in Ojai, California. It was a truly life changing experience – I literally came home a different person. We spent several days writing new songs, finishing old songs, and generally just having a great time. I fell in love with the quaint town of Ojai and the whole vibe and sound of the West Coast, where so many of my musical heroes made music which stands the test of time.”
To be fair I’ve never been a fan of these supposedly hip and ironic labels like ‘guilty pleasures’ or ‘yacht rock’, which seemed to have come after the music they represent had been made. Michael Armstrong I would put in the 70s influenced soft rock from the likes of ELO, Supertramp and from the West Coast scene Jackson Browne. Quality music and tunes in other words.
He is good at tapping into current social themes and moulding them into a memorable melody, be it ‘Facebook Fame’ or the topical ‘The Lockdown’. The latter is another 70s soft rocker, again the sax and the strings really make this song that little bit extra special.
Being a romantic soul too you get uplifting pop songs like ‘My Baby Blues’ and the very ELO sounding ‘Each Other’s Eyes’. Both would fit seamlessly into daytime radio or pop and AOR playlists.
Those Supertramp vibes come through on ‘Matters Of The Heart’, complete with a sultry bit of sax playing courtesy of Ed Barker. This song is made for a sunny Sunday afternoon.
Michael Armstrong nails that West Coast sound he loves and has been influenced by, without ever becoming to MOR or bland. It’s about time more people got to hear and appreciate the pop/soft rock delights served up by Michael Armstrong. ****
Review by Jason Ritchie
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