Hungryheart One Ticket to Paradise
by Derric Miller
Staff Writer
On Hungryheart’s self-titled debut in 2008, the band walked the line between AOR and Glam/Sleaze Rock. On their sophomore release, One Ticket to Paradise , Hungryheart has decided to take the music to a more mature, polished route, yet still holds on to the more anthemic energy of their debut, creating an album rife with pop potential. Guitarist Mario Percudani even mans the mic on a few of the tracks, and his vocal style is one of the reasons the new Hungryheart feels a bit more AOR leaning than the debut, in sections.
“Stand Up” is what you would expect from the gents. The track is one mammoth studio anthem, with clean, melodic leads from Percudani and top notch vocals from Josh Zighetti. On the debut, Zighetti had a bit of Mike Tramp in his delivery, but he seems to have found a bit more depth to his vocals this time around.
The title track is a burner, one of the heaviest songs on the release. The vibe is almost early Van Halen at times, not really musically but the energy, sort of that party vibe the first time Roth was in the band. It’s obvious that Percudani has honed his considerable talent this time around. With an atmospheric breakdown and airy vocals before a frenetic yet impeccably accurate guitar solo, this deserves to be the title track.
One of the somewhat odd songs is the duet, “Let Somebody Love You.” Why odd? Because it’s Zighetti and Percudani both singing a love song, which may confuse some listeners . Zighetti’s lines go with “And I keep on wonderin’ where you are now, ‘cause your memory is all I know,” to be followed up with Percudani singing, “So many miles have come between us, I know you don’t have to give me a reason …” Either way, it’s a strong composition with emotive, honest vocals by both singers.
The blues pour out of the notes on “Angela,” where Zighetti is back on lead vocals and the band gets back to bringing the heat. While it seems the band has flavored the album with more mid-tempo songs to perchance appeal to a broader audience, Hungryheart is a band that excels best when drummer Paolo Botteschi and bassist Lozzi get to contribute to a more rockin’ extent, as they both do here.
Another song that has “hit” slathered all over it is “Just a Little Closer,” a song that owns one of the most hooky choruses on the release. While the verses are understated and build to a crescendo, it’s the group backing vocals and uber-sweet harmonies that keep you coming back.
Hungryheart took a huge chance and covered a Michael Jackson recording “Man in the Mirror.” Not only is it a tough cover because Jackson is one of the best-selling artists in the history of music, but he also recently left this world for other pastures (or to no pasture whatsoever, depending on your beliefs.) Is it good? Yes, it’s a song that was Number 1 on the charts and was crafted with expertise. Does it fit on One Ticket to Paradise? They should release it as a single and find out one way or another, because the potential was already built in. Maybe this is how Hungryheart will finally break out …
One Ticket to Paradise is a glossy, polished release. Especially on the songs where Percudani sings, like “You Won’t Be Alone,” Hungryheart slips away from that Glam/Hard Rock feel and stand steadily in AOR. What this proves overall is that Hungryheart is evolving as a band and you can’t just expect them to write and record the same track over and over 10 to 12 times. Look for them to take even more chances next time out, as if covering Michael Jackson and adding in more co-lead vocals wasn’t enough. It seems they are writing music they want to record instead of what they think will sell, and if more bands did just that, the state of the music industry perhaps wouldn’t be so colorless and moribund …
Label: Tanzan Music/Sony
Band:
Josh Zighetti (vocals)
Mario Percudani (guitar, vocals)
Paolo Botteschi (drums, backing vocals)
Steve Lozzi (bass)
Online: http://www.myspace.com/hungryheartofficial
Track listing:
1. Stand Up
2. One Ticket To Paradise
3. Let Somebody Love You
4. Boulevard Of Love
5. A Million Miles Away
6. Angela
7. Love Is The Right Away
8. Let’s Keep On Tryin’
9. Just A Little Closer
10. Get Lost
11. Man In The Mirror
12. You Won’t Be Alone
Genre: Hard Rock
Hardrock Haven rating: 8/10