| Crossfade White On Blue | MTM Music 0681-96 |
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Crossfade's excellent White On Blue might just be the smoothest album of 2004. Following some excellent work with Street Talk, vocalist Goran Edman (Mr. Westcoast) was picked up to front this new project, which was formed by guitarist Lars Hallbaeck and keyboardist Richard Stenstroem. The band is rounded out with drummer Per Lindvall and his brother, the bass player Sven Lindvall. It's a bit of a rarity to have a full band featured on a Westcoast release so often programming and sythn elements are used to cover missing players. Not here this recording spares no expense and the listener is richly rewarded. Being a Westcoast/soft pop AOR release means it will not appeal to everyone. No blazing guitar solos here. But there is some phenomenal songs featured and some flawless performances by all involved. There are no weak tracks or fillers here as long as you like things soft or softer! The Day The Music Died is simply superb. It's a wonderful slice of rich, textured AOR/Westcoast with an instant chorus and some very enjoyable musical passages. Goran has rarely sounded better or more on song. Did You Really is straight from the Toto song handbook. Fans of early Toto, not to mention Toto IV and Fahrenheit will love this track. I can almost hear Bobby Kimball singing this. Flying is even jazzier a breezy pop number with Sax and Trumpet making an appearance along with Congas and Bongos mid-track. Classic stuff for fans of Steely Dan and the like. Deeper Shade Of Love is a super-sweet piano ballad with a fine vocal and nice sentiment, not to mention some great harmony vocals later on it the song. Thorns Of Life is another classy Mr. Mister/Toto style AOR track. I particularly like the piano parts within the song. Don't Really Matter is another uptempo pop/jazz number and closing the album is You, a track that could rate as the album's best. It's certainly the rockiest, with a strong guitar riff supporting Goran's powerful vocals. At the center of this great track is an instantly catchy anthem-like chorus.
A very good debut and as stated at the top of the review one of the smoothest records of 2004.
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28/12/04: Baltasar Silva - balta_pinheiro@uol.com.br
01/08/04: Ian - Watsoni10@aol.com
29/07/04: simon - simon@reflexonline.net
21/06/04: C - why@trust-me.com
02/06/04: Guru - larsgerecke@freenet.de
23/05/04: Chewsmoka - chewsmoka@yahoo.com
18/05/04: Hector - hlakisz@fullzero.com.ar
22/04/04: Ray - rmartens@i-hug.com.au
21/04/04: Mark - mark@wyse583.freeserve.co.uk
20/04/04: Freddy De Keyzer - freddydekeyzer@hotmail.com
Rating: 20
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz........ Zzzzzzzzzzzzz... The opening act is quite good, but the rest of the album.... I'm sorry but I couldn't hear this album until the end, is very boring....
Rating: 80
A good,although not the best AOR/WESTCOAST album to be released recently.Goran sings well and the music is proficient,it just lacks that certain edge.
Rating: 85
this is a great album and "deeper shade of love" is the best ballad of 2004. feteli voi i dischi.
Rating: 8
Great singer, Boring songs. Elevator music is more fun than this. Please don't play this when you drive...zzzzz.
Get Spin Gallery..or any another album released this year.
Rating: 98
The sound quality is superb ! Best Westcoast ! Buy Buy Buy
Rating: 50
Helps me fall asleep and my girlfriend loves it, and other than that is waaaaaaaaaaay to soft for just a regular listen, otherwise i would fall asleep at the wheel! I loved Street Talk, but whoa, and Freddy is right, go for Spin Gallery, abousolutely brillant!
Rating: 98
Why not 100% ?. I don΄t know, this album is the best released of the 2004 in the venue westcoast. The voice of Goram is amazing and the songs are very inteligent. A new point of view about the music, open your mind and enjoy (with a girl of course)
Rating: 85
Great westcoast album just buy it for the last song(You)one of the best songs iv'e heard for a while
Rating: 85
Andrew is spot on here - this is a close contender for the smoothest album of the year, at least so far. Goran Edman gives his usual thought-provoking vocal performance; this guy is a real class act; he first came to my attention when he sang on the John Norum album, "Total Control". Goran has since developed his vocal style into the smooth confident delivery shown on this record. The style is most definitely "WestCoast" which is always a challenge for the first couple of plays for me as I like guitar-driven AOR / Melodic Rock, but this record shines from the off and really kicks into gear with the wonderful "The Day The Music Died". In fact every track pleases to some degree and the musicianship throughout is superb and the production is first-rate. This album for me is vying with Spin Gallery for the best WestCoast album so far this year - hopefully there is more to come!!!
Rating: 30
This was one of the records I expected a lot from, but what a disappointment this is ! You all know I'm into pure AOR, but this is no AOR, it's waaaaaaaay too soft, even pure pop. A combination of Steely Dan, soft Toto and Chicago ! No, the songs aren't that bad, but it's all so extremely safe !
If you want a comparison : Spin Gallery do this with more class and more balls.
Go for Spin Gallery, which is BRILLIANT and leave this where it is. Too boring for words. Sorry !
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