Love Life
Goodbye Lady Jane
Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt
After seeing Love Life perform live last Spring, I was geared up for the release of its debut album. With this quartet's brand of "dirty" commercial metal a la Skid Row, I thought the band could take off like the first Whitecross record. While not a bad record, I was disappointed upon first listen. My high expectations for this year's best new metal album wasn't met. The production of the guitar tones holds the first cut back a bit, but the infectious hook of "Do You Love Me" is so big and so good that the thin production is forgotten in favor of spinning around the room with an air guitar slung low over my shoulder (I hope nobody saw me!). "Real Love" starts off with a cliched "ooh-yeah," and the guitar tones are cheesy, but this song as well has a good hook. "Hearts On Fire" showcases Larry Worley's voice. It's a boy/girl song expressing the feelings of romance/passion. "When Loneliness Comes Knockin'" is a slower acoustic-based tune with a strong vocal melody. "Girl Gone Bad" is another cool tune, but one with an often-overused hook a la Motley Crue. "Fill-Er Up" is a nice little screamin' lead break to get this vehicle going. The title track is a rockin' anthem, as is the sassy "Do You Believe In Love", and "In Blue Again" is a major chord/happy tune. "1000 Reasons" starts acoustically with a Poison feel, and then features some pretty guitar picking. "Hard Day's Night" shows up here as a rockin' version without the vocal harmonies that The Beatles used. One thing that I think holds this album back is also the thing that holds it together. The same-ness of each cut, although they do cover different sounds, keep the songs from standing as strong as it would on its own outside the context of this record. These songs are good, period. When you buy the album, expect it to grow on you. Once it does, you'll probably agree that it's hot.