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Godsend Records [Release date 07.07.23]
After his stint fronting Great White, Mitch Malloy resumes his solo career with his first album since ‘Making Noise’ some seven years ago. Indeed, like its predecessor, this is a solo effort in every sense of the word as he produces himself and plays all the instruments, yet that doesn’t feel artificial and the album still has that natural band feel to it.
A health warning to my fellow melodic rockers not to expect the polish of his 1992 debut, a milestone in AOR history, or indeed some more recent efforts like ‘Mitch Malloy II’. Instead this is a rawer and more organic work that tips its hat to the classic rock of the seventies.
‘I’m Living In Paradise’ is a good out and out rocker to open the album with rolling piano and a riff that is Rolling Stones meets Jo Jo Gunne, but that trademark melodic voice is in fine form. ‘One Of a Kind’ is less immediate but a grower with a more interesting and moody arrangement, and a harsher even Dio-esque tone to his voice.
In complete contrast ‘Using This Song’ is a beautifully sung piano led ballad, complete with strings, of the type Jimmy Webb or Harry Nilsson night have wrote.
‘My Pleasure’ is far from the best song on the album but enlivened by that unique catch in his voice and a fine guitar solo. However I struggled to get into a couple of songs, ‘I’ll Find a Way’ and the ‘Building a Bridge’, where the arrangements felt a little overwrought and cluttered for my own liking.
‘Sometimes Love’ has that spectacular voice multi-tracked with backing vocals and ‘You’re the Brightest Star’ is a more piano-led barroom rocker. ‘I See You’ is the second ballad but closer to his earlier work as it breaks into a sweet guitar solo and the album ends in fine style with the appropriately titled title track, a storming full on rocker with waves of fine guitar work, be it slashing chords or solos.
All his own work, this is a comeback Mitch Malloy can rightly be proud of. ****
Review by Andy Nathan
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