HARDREAMS - review added 20th April 2009
Album Review: The Road Goes On (2008)
For fans of: hard rock... and harking back to the glory days
Hardreams were formed in a small Spanish Village in 2000. The Road goes on is their 2nd LP, following an EP in 2001 and a full length, entitled Calling Everywhere, in 2004. The band (for this recording) consists of Manu Esteve (lead & backing vocals), David Agüera (lead, rhythm & acoustic guitars), Sergi Hormigó (drums), Víctor Muiño (bass) and Sergi Segarra (keyboards). Quique Carmona (keyboards) and Chris Martos (backing vocals) guest on a few of the tracks too.
Hardreams come across like a version of Journey with their DNA spliced with myriad rock bands from across the years. A lot of the material isn't massively original, but the result is considerably better than the sum of its parts.
The songs are vibrant and often racy. The production is appropriately competent and the performances are all on the money... even if the vocalist can't decide if he wants to be brilliant or uncomfortably pitchy. Special mention should be made to Victor Muiño's bass which stands out in the mix and gives the tracks a solid edge.
'Bad Times Are Gone' is a spunky little number with more bounce than a newborn lamb. It's an appealingly buoyant track with an utterly feel good vibe. In 'Little Sinner Queen' there are definite hints of Danny Vaughn. Manu Esteve may not be in the same league as the Vaughn-meister, but he's definitely playing the same ball-game.
'We're One' has a massive Arnel Pineda era Journey sound. the vocals are similar, the song construction and execution are there too. It's a fantastically dramatic song with a strong personality and highly memorable chorus. We like it a lot. 'I’ll Say Bye Tonight' is a mix of the late eighties and bluesy versions of Whitesnake with some funk and jazzy undertones. It's a smoky-bar of a song with more chill than an overenthusiastic air conditioning unit.
'The Road Goes On' is a very pleasant record. It is derivative of the golden era of flamboyant rock and, whilst in a similar vein to the recent(ish) throwback albums by H.E.A.T. and Marcello-Vestry, it's a tad softer and has a stronger Journey-esque melodic hue. If you can live with the slightly predictable nature of it all, the few hidden gems on the record are worth the purchase price alone.
Check out... 'Someday Somewhere'. Nice.
Track List:
1. Apologies
2. Bad Times are Gone
3. Rebel Heart
4. My Last Desire
5. Little Sinner Queen
6. We’re One
7. Too Late
8. Someday Somewhere
9. I’ll Say bye Tonight
10. Two Shots
11. The Road Goes On
Label: Perris Records
Artist's websites: Hardreams , MySpace
