Faithfull Light this City
by Heather McNamara
Staff Writer
Faithfull’s debut album was originally released in 2003 and was a smash success in Japan, a place where good taste apparently hasn’t died off completely. Now, Perris Records has released this AOR gem for fans wanting a taste.
The band is most likely to draw comparisons to Bon Jovi, with lead vocalist Sergio Sabino particularly Jon Bon Jovi-esque in his tone and phrasing. But that’s not to dismiss Light This City, which is packed with a heaping helping of classic melodic rock sensibilities. The track list is a decent mix of sizzling rockers and heartfelt ballads. First up is “All I Want, All I Need,” a fast, up-tempo rocker that is definitely among the most like Bon Jovi on this package.
Following it up is “Cast Out the Rain,” slow and sweet as a ballad should be, showing off plenty of sensitivity in Sabino’s vocal delivery. Another sparkling power ballad is “Ending Song,” which has all the earnestness of such classics as “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” and “Don’t Know What You’ve Got (Til It’s Gone). “I’ve Been Missing You” starts off gentle as a lamb, then pumps up the volume with high-powered rock goodness. The guitar solo on “Learned My Lesson” can stand up to anything Richie Sambora or Neal Schon can play, while the title track captures well the need to blow off steam after the workweek grind.
“Like a Shadow” and “Melting Your Ice” are polished gems glittering with shining vocals and gleaming guitars, a sharp contrast to “Please,” which boasts acoustic guitars and stripped-down percussion, making it the softest song on an otherwise powerful, ear-blasting ride.
With any luck we should be hearing more from Faithfull in the future, as this CD will surely please any AOR/melodic rock fan. Definitely worth a look and will leave the saying, “They don’t make ‘em like that anymore” in the dust.
Label: Perris Records
www.perrisrecords.com
www.faithfull-band.com
Track Listing:
1. All I Want, All I Need
2. Cast Out the Rain
3. Ending Song
4. I’ve Been Missing You
5. Learned My Lesson
6. Light This City
7. Like A Shadow
8. Melting Your Ice
9. Please
10. The Way I Am
11. There’s No Turning Back
12. Way Back
13. You Won’t Get Me Now
HRH Rating: 8.6/10