The blurb that comes with this release states you can stick this in a stack of records alongside the likes of Cinderella, Guns ‘N’ Roses and Faster Pussycat, but these German’s are far from that in my eyes. Formed in 2007, Wiesbaden, Germany, this is an unlikely source of a hard rock, blues and sleaze influenced music that is a lot more in tune with a more modern interpretation of the sub-genres stated than those three bands mentioned at the top of this review.
The cool, gruff vocals are special, this makes them very unique, I love the gravel tone of the upbeat opener ‘Heads or Tails’ and when the pace slows on other tracks I find a happy comparison to Spike (The Quireboys) and even Joe Lesté (Bang Tango/Beautiful Creatures). These are unique singers with their own style and The New Roses have this and use it to their advantage. That’s not to say it’s all the same expression. ‘Partner in Crime’ uses more vocal melody that gives you instant gratification and makes you think this album is a seasoned one from your playlist, not a new release and with some the bluesy hard rockers on this album, you could be reminded of The Black Crowes; far from the LA scene in the US in the late 80’s.
That more modern influence I spoke about rears itself on the slower, semi-ballad numbers like ‘Ride With Me’ and ‘What if it Was You’. These in particular have me thinking more mainstream big arena rock like Daughtry and even some earlier Nickleback before they hit the big time. I know a lot of you may well be cringing at that thought, buts songs that are well written and executed deserve credit where it is due.
The thing about this release is that it can be played in a small club, those sweaty bluesy tracks or in a massive arenas as the melodies and vocals certainly have that sort of reach and projection. The stage is set for both scenarios with ‘Dead Man’s Voice’. The music, the song writing is well beyond their years, their interpretation of their influences outstretches simple underground notoriety and this is a band I feel would do very well in the US market, although this release should travel rather well in many other territories given the right support.
(8/10 Paul Maddison)
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