![[Image]](../../Images/takara-por.jpg)
Tracks:
- Miles Away
- Shadows in the Night
- Tomorrow
- Without You
- Ready to Promise
- L.I.E.S.
- Dream of it all
- Believe
- Tell me
Label: Lion Music
Producer: ?
Year: 2001
Total Playing Time: 39:07 m:s
Review date: 20/02/2002
Web site: www.takararocks.com
Email:
Rating: 80 %
Verdict: Feel good melodic rock performed with style
Takara having being hovering around my 'want to buy' list of a while, but never quite made it. The main reason for interest in the band was the presence of one of the best voices in Melodic Rock - Jeff Scott (yes, you pay me, I'll sing) Soto. It is ironic then that when I finally do get to hear a Takara album JSS has departed & the band are now using new singer Michael James Flatters.
The band hit the ground running with the first couple of tracks - "Miles Away" and "Shadows In The Night". They both contain slowish verses combined with uptempo catchy choruses. There is a hint of Blackmore about the guitar work and the overall impression is of Rainbow meets a less heavyweight Damned Nation. This successful formula is continued on "Tomorrow". After three uptempo numbers come the inevitable power ballad called "Without You".
There is something vaguely Van Halen-esque about the start to "Ready To Promise" which develops into a catchy mid-tempo rocker. In fact, the song holds onto that VH feel throughout. The start of "L.I.E.S" is more determined and the rhythm section adopts a more strident attitude for this track. I have mentioned the word catchy quite a few times in this review already, but on "Dream Of It All" the band take this to new heights. This is the sort of track that gets inside your head and stays there, so that you'll find yourself singing/humming a tune sometime later in the day and realise it is a Takara song. Having scaled the heights of catchiness on the previous track the band stay there with "Believe" and the closing track "Tell Me".
"So is that it?" I hear you say. Well yes, Takara came perilously close to being this month's winners of the Harem Scarem "Less than 40 min is quite sufficient" award. A smudge on another otherwise acceptable copybook.
Takara songs are all feel good ones that really take off during the choruses where they have the vocal harmonies pretty close to perfection. This is the type of music that you stick on the stereo and enjoy without having to think too much. It the sort of music that you'd love to hear on the radio. As for the change of vocalist, Michael does an excellent job and the change will help the band overcome the preconceptions held by people like me who always thought of them as a side project for JSS.
