Mascot Records [Release Date 14.05.21]
So there was an American, an Englishman and a Frenchman…. no, not a set up to one of the world’s oldest forms of joke, but the line up of hotly tipped new melodic rockers Levara. The American is guitarist Trev Lukather, son of Toto’s legendary six stringer Steve, the Frenchman singer Jules Galli and Englishman Josh Devine who drummed for One Direction - but better the sinner that repenteth and all that…
Anyone hoping for a repeat of Toto or indeed classic AOR look away now, as Levara are thoroughly contemporary in their musical approach – the only thing retro is a taut running time of 10 songs in 37 minutes. Over the past decade, the only comparisons I can reach for where leading melodic rock bands tried to completely break the old mould to this extent are Vega on their debut and a couple of songs from HEAT’s controversial ‘Into The Great Unknown’.
The trio, in the able production hands of Ethan Kaufmann, have created a big sound with a lot going on at any one time. However there are very few conventional guitar solos of any length and the music makes full use of electronic sounds, even in the creative drum and percussion work. At times it is as much a pop as a rock album, notably on ‘Can’t Get Over’ which has very little guitar.
The opening trio of songs are highly impressive- ‘Heaven Knows’ epitomises the busy nature of their sound, with squeals of guitar, a touch of funkiness (Dan Reed was a comparison I drew more than once across the album) and a chorus with some layered high harmonies.
‘Automatic’ has an unusual song structure yet a hook big enough to carry its single word chorus, and ‘Ever Enough’ is even better. Its atmospheric opening builds into a big chorus which became lodged in my brain with massed backing vocals and a quirky guitar solo.
‘On For The Night’ and ‘Allow’ didn’t make same impact on me as soundscapes with less prominent hooks, though Trev stretches out on the latter. However ‘Chameleon’ boasts another superb chorus with loads of layers around it, and ‘Ordinary’, which began as a throwaway piece of pop, grew on me as the guitar work belatedly pushes itself forward.
Two of my favourite songs are left to last – ‘Just A Man’ boasts impressive guitar and vocals as it builds momentum and Jules Galli soars on ‘No One Above You’, the nearest to a ballad.
His vocals are a real discovery: smooth, even with a Savage Garden-like feyness on the lighter songs, but powerful too when he moves through the ranges; indeed one of the few legitimate Toto comparisons could be with Fergie Frederiksen.
This album needs to be approached with an open mindedness that as a traditionalist I am not quite sure I possess. However all in all it is a highly promising debut with good songs and successfully avoids the melodic rock clichés we know and love. ****
Review by Andy Nathan
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024
In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections
Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)
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