Rating: ***1/2
From what I understand, Andy Michaels is an Australian lad that's been at this music thing for a decade-plus.
Over the years he's been compared to Cat Stevens, Maroon 5, Coldplay an many other people that are a lot more famous than he is.
A few things are certain:
1. I'm a sucker for a dude with a guitar just singing his songs.
2. This album is gonna be a lot of a dude with a guitar just singing his songs.
Seems like a good recipe.
Watch the music video for "White Lies" on Youtube below:
The first track is called "Today's Tomorrow" and it lacks punch. It's cheesy and sounds dated. I'll pass on this one. "Angel" is quite pretty actually. It's a simple love song that lacks a lot of bells and whistles but that works really well here. "Just Because You Love Someone" is another straight-forward folk-rock song. Kerrie Ironside guest vocals on this one and it's a highlight. Their voices together make the song work. "When I Close My Eyes" has nice harmonies but it's really more of the same here. "I Just Want to be the One" is kinda creepy and I liked it. It finally breaks from the folk vibe. The lyrics are dark and the chorus is tight. Probably my favorite track so far. "I'll Be Alright (Loving You)" and "Will There be Love (Ft. Kerrie Ironside)" are both solid if fairly uninspired numbers. Nothing to hate here, but nothing that is going to blow your mind either. "Where are They Now" has some excellent guitar playing and might be the best-sung track on the entire record. "Home" is track nine and it's another good one. It reminds me a little of Pink Floyd which is a comparison I did not think I'd be making on this album. "Back to Me" is haunting and lovely. I think Andy is at his best when he's deviating from the "guy with a guitar" trope. "White Lies (Ft. Kerrie Ironside)" features Kerrie on lead vocals and it's a nice change. The last part of the record has actually been pretty good. "Lucretia's Eylandt (Ft. Sharon Court)" has an Enigma feel to it. Sharon Court is a good vocalist as well, and her leads here make this song one of the best on the album. The last track is a version of "Angel" with a choir. It's just as nice here as it was the first time.
Andy Michaels has been doing this a long time and I imagine he knows exactly what is fanbase wants from him. This album is probably chock full of songs that his fans will love and enjoy. For the new listener to Michaels, there is a lot to like here, but probably a bit that they won't. I thought it was a solid outing, but I wasn't nuts over it.