FROM THE INSIDE - review added 11th October 2008
Album Review: Visions (2008)
For fans of: hard rock... and melodies you can swim in
Ahhh, Danny Vaughn. With one of the finest voices in rock, listening to one of his albums is like sitting on a thick rug in front of a roaring log fire drinking mulled wine. Whatever he does, it always has a relaxed, mellow air that belies his decibel-icious vocal chords.
Visions follows on from the eponymous debut. Whilst not as immediately accessible, and initially lacking a certain something, several listens down the line the true nature of the album has started to shine through. With familiarity, every track has a real classic sound like it was ripped from a greatest hits package. Several different writers were used across the album, and the subtle nuances of their styles keep the songs fresh as it flows form start to finish.
Standout tracks are hard to pick as there simply isn't a duffer amongst them. Pushed into a corner, with a red hot poker pointed in my general direction, I would suggest 'If It's Not Love' as my favourite, but that's mainly because I'm a sucker for a slushy ballad with a huge chorus.
Although residing resolutely at the soft end of the rock spectrum, Visions still hits hard where necessary. It's not an album you'd play at full volume on a fast drive, but songs like 'Light Years' and 'Moment To Moment' get the blood pumping with the best of them. Then again, with guitars by Jimi Bell of House Of Lords, that's hardly surprising.
The worst thing I can say about the album is that the cd cover, which appears to be a badly photo shopped amalgamation of a white tiger and a mossy tree stump, really doesn't do the music justice. Apparently it was done by someone or something called Demisud, which is just asking for trouble.
Danny Vaughn has got his vocals on another awesome album. In some ways it would be nice for him to do a real shipwreck of a cd, just to prove he's human. As it is, though, the man is a vocal robot who knows no bounds, and for that we worship at his feet.
Check out... Danny Vaughn's voice. He is God..
Track List:
1. Light Years
2. Making Waves
3. If It's Not Love
4. Listen To Your Heart
5. Love Is No Stranger
6. 21st Century
7. Days Of Hunger
8. Visions
9. Moment To Moment
10. One More Night In Heaven
11. Push Me Off
12. Telemetry
Label: Frontiers Records
Band websites: MySpace
