published: 11 /
8 /
2007
Label:
East Central One
Format: CD
Formulaic and totally unimaginative FM rock-pop on debut album from Norwegian-based group, Messenger
Review
Messenger are here, from Norway, to ‘bring the party’ with their upbeat FM-rock pop songs. Veering from the cock-rock of Bon Jovi to the uber-blandness of Maroon 5, ‘Head For Glory’ is their first long-player, and as such I tried incredibly hard to overlook the cheesefest of opener ‘Amazing’, the stink-ballad ‘Angel Eyes’ and the sub-Lenny Kravitz ‘No One Cares When You’re Gone’. The musicianship is second-to-none, unfortunately there is no real feeling behind this music, and all the tunelling beneath the surface I done brought me no closer to finding anything in these songs. There’s been no expense spared on the production, and I can see from the publicity photos that the boys all play shiny posh instruments, but this can never make up for a lack of substance. These songs wouldn’t be out of place on an X Factor winner’s album, and no amount of sunglasses and ripped jeans can hide that fact. Unfortunately, ‘Head For Glory’ just proves that no matter how much money you throw at something, if it’s shit it’s gonna stink.
Track Listing:-
1
Amazing
2
Angel Eyes
3
No One Cares When You're Gone
4
Head for Glory
5
That's Why We Play
6
John Strong
7
Go Change Your Attitude
8
The Words
9
Guilty
10
Good, Bad, Evil
11
Back on the Road