More Info: www.officialchallenge.com
Verdict (Rating %): Enjoyable, but doesn't have the "Acoustic Universe" 'Wow! factor' (70%)
Challenge are a duo consisting of LA vocalist (Allison Lindsay) and Dutch guitarist ( Arno Verstappen). I reviewed their debut album (Acoustic Universe) and was impressed
This time around they 'plugged their guitars into a big Marshall stack and cranked it up', the objective being to create a melodic rock album with a heavier sound and yet the same emphasis on melody. They also went for a basic sound without countless overdubs etc.
In trying to describe the overall Challenge sound this time around, I'll go for 'bluesy melodic rock'. Whilst the sound is obviously heavier than the debut, it still sits on the 'light' side of what I'd normally describe as melodic rock and sits closer to 'mainstream adult rock'.
The opening track, "Spirit", is a good start, with the guitar work being fluid and kicking it at the right moments. The next track, "Anytime", has a strong rhythm section, plus a horn section filling out the tune and giving a bluesy/jazzy feel. Alannah Myles is the first comparison that I thought of. In fact, there are a couple of other tracks, "It's My Life" and "Turn Away", in a similiar vein. "Turn Away" finishes the album well, but on "It's My Life" I found my self wishing the song had a bit more 'bite' to it.
The Hammond organ sound is present on a few tracks, most notably "Dark Night". The organ gives it a Deep Purple feel and the saxophone includes a jazzy feel which some Purple tunes have. Maybe because I'm a Purple fan and it may therefore be an unrealistic expectation, but I found myself wanting the song to rock out a little more. "Backbone" is another example of this style.
Elsewhere, the tracks are mostly fall into the 'pleasant' category. "Opening Wide" is the track that most closely echoes the style of the debut, where the Allison's clear vocals give it a folk feel, rather like early Heart.
I don't often mention them, but this time the lyrics are noteworthy. In addition to the standard love songs, the lyrics cover crime (Dark Night), having a realistic outlook (Spirit) and defying conformity (It's My Life).
"Spirit", "Dark Night" and "Turn Away", all show that the band can produce the goods when in electric mode. However, maybe I want to change the band into something they are not (a melodic hard rock band, rather than a melodic rock band), but I felt that generally the album lacked 'edge'. The album is an enjoyable listen, but doesn't impress the way the debut did.
