You see a name like Big Bad Bobby And The Shoe Horns and sort of expect a Rock And Roll Revue, an altogether now and dance affair. Not a bit of it! This lot are a quintet from Braintree Massachusetts and very much a Pop Rock band.
Off the top of my head, the nearest comparison may be Vegas With Randolph. This is well produced, big sounding Rock, very commercial and melodic and the extra horn section is used sparingly and tastefully. A rockier version of AOR. I think you catch drift.
The major focus is on Harmonic Rock, all encompassing, almost 1980s, but with an eye cast to the next decade. Maybe It's Monday though is nearer Power Pop and may be the best song on show. Incredibly catchy with the focus more on Pop.
Stutter reverses the emphasis to Rock and is a song that threatens a harder rock, but thankfully never quite gets there, instead being a fine driving Rock song. This is an album that has to have a ballad and that is the closer, Where Were You?, but that is only half the story as half way through it becomes a storming instrumental that builds and builds. A great six minutes.
The template though is big melodic catchy Pop Rock. At times a little Styx in feel. Like That, But Louder is the sort of Rock that I haven't listened to in a long while and so you appreciate the strength of the arrangements and performances and realise that previous prejudices were because there was so much of it around. This is a great listen from a band that know exactly what they are about and which buttons to press.
You can listen to and buy the album here.
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“Where Were You” sounds like a ballad as it begins, but turns into sn epic rock song before the end. Amazing performances by all the band members.
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