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Escape Music (Release date 16.04.21)
Robbie LaBlanc is not only one of the melodic rock world’s most admired singers, but increasingly its most prolific. It’s only a few months since I reviewed the East Temple Avenue album he lent his golden voice to, but now comes his first album under his own name. It’s very much a partnership with two of the scene’s greats, and almost Escape Music’s in-house team, in FM singer Steve Overland and respected guitarist Tommy Denander, who have written and produced the album.
While Blanc Faces and East Temple Avenue sat firmly in the AOR mainstream, and the Find Me albums boasted a more clinical, keyboard-driven approach, on this occasion they have created an almost vintage sound, with a natural rather than formularised feel, which is to be commended.
‘Only Human’ begins the album in fine style, with the positive lyrics typical of Robbie’s best work, Steve prominent on backing vocal, a synth backing that could have been left over from the recent album by labelmates Touch, and a searing guitar solo from Tommy.
‘Start Motor Running’ has Overlandian written over it, a brassy, bluesy number that could have sat on FM’s ‘Aphrodisiac’ or his recent solo album ‘Scandalous’. ‘Never Let a Good Time Go’ sees a good melody, fine guitar solo and upbeat message compensate for what personally is an off putting 80’s synth pop arrangement, and could have been an eighties TV theme tune or film soundtrack.
‘Voodoo Woman’ is the first, but not the last, song with a strong vibe of Tommy’s beloved Toto, and indeed in general a late seventies feel right down to some ELO-like backing vocals. ‘Pure’ is perhaps Robbie’s biggest departure to date, a smooth piece of blue eyed soul with some funky basslines from Brian Anthony, before ‘Temptation’ returns to the Toto template with a good chorus.
Throughout, Robbie’s vocals are clear and precise, coming over as a cross between Joseph Williams, Richard Marx and (hear me out!) George Michael. The Steve Overland influence is everywhere, and on ‘Better Man’ and ‘Sound of the City’ in particular, the backing vocals and some of the writing style are unmistakably his.
However the second half of the album, from ‘Lips Are Sealed’ onwards, saw my enthusiasm dip. For one, it is lighter, poppier and funkier with the guitar solos less aggressive. Moreover the songs become rather repetitive with a similar tempo and the same influences – Toto, a more accessible Steely Dan and Rush Street-era Richard Marx (‘Just Say the Word’)- presenting themselves over and over again. There is little wrong individually with the songs, though they work better as more of a late night listen, but my thought was the 13 songs on view could easily have been trimmed of a couple of the blander fillers.
So, despite the undoubted quality of the main protagonists, and some class moments, it’s an album that leaves me with a feeling of what might have been. *** 3/4
Review by Andy Nathan
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