I would like to have seen Lethbridge Owen add a little more frayed Rock 'n' Roll edge to the mix, although it's still a fine album overall.
Song-writing duo Jimmy Owen (guitar/vocals) and Kelly Louise (vocals) have both tapped into the Fleetwood Mac/Lindsey Buckingham/Stevie Nicks harmonic flare. Backed by Erik Stams (drums) and Noah Nelson (bass guitar) as the rhythm section, they are putting out some wonderful West Coast musical vibes with this release.
Production can make or break the best of tracks so it's a relief to hear the vocals and guitar have a silky feel to them that allows each song to breathe. Owen's sparse yet fluid guitar work weaves in and out of each song with ease, but it never intrudes on the melody. 'All We Have Is Hope' has a slow drum shuffle and the track leans towards the original Buckingham Nicks album. Nobody overplays and everything produced is there for the song only, while their singer Louise eases her vocals around a great many musical moods.
'Back To The Blue' has smooth Jazz influences and 'Re-Inspire' delivers some Pop Rock in the style of The Corrs' early work. The blend of the two singers on 'Fight For You' gives the song a rich fragrance with the guitar rocking only when it needs to and demonstrating an essence of Tom Petty. 'From Now On' is like a lullaby of voices floating around a soft acoustic guitar melody and it's a real standout track. 'Taking Over Me' is a sing-along Country tune that never really finds its feet, whereas 'Two Steps Forward' is an up-tempo rocker that is not unlike Sheryl Crows' work.
There is a little fluff on this release and a few of the songs get lost in the all-too-simple approach, but all the tracks come straight from the heart. I would like to have seen Lethbridge Owen add a little more frayed Rock 'n' Roll edge to the mix, although it's still a fine album overall.
Ray Paul