There is nothing at all to dislike here, it's all just a bit tame for my liking.
It's a sweeping statement I know, but when I see an album with the word 'Project' in the title and featuring several guest musicians and 'friends', I can't help but think this is going to be nice, easy to listen to, but ultimately not something that is going to live long in the memory. 'At Your Service' is the second album from the Jan Holberg Project and unfortunately does nothing to change that view.
After Joe Lynn Turner provided vocals for Jan's first album, 'Sense Of Time' in 2011, he returns here and shares vocal duties with Tony Carey and Age Sten Nilsen (Wig Wam). There's plenty of variety throughout the album with the funk of opening tracks 'Waters Rising' and 'Battle Of Your Heart'. Turner is at his best with the soulful ballad 'Jealousy and Pride' and Tony Carey's grittier voice does a nice job with mid paced, acoustic driven rocker 'Outta My Face'. The rest of the album follows in similar vein, melodic rock certainly, but with a heavy dose of funk, a touch of country / folk influence at times and a fair helping of Americana.
Pleasant and varied enough for sure, but with nothing that really grabs you by the balls, or provides a hook that sticks in your brain. At thirty-five minutes and nine tracks it's not the longest album you'll ever hear, and I can't help wondering if Jan had carried on a bit longer would they have come up with the killer track, or are they already running out of ideas?
There is nothing at all to dislike here, it's all just a bit tame for my liking. Closing track is ironically an instrumental titled 'I Still Remember'; ironic because, sorry to say Jan, but 24 hours later, I really can't say that I do.
Ian Parry
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