Well, this is reunion that I wasn't expecting. Unruly Child disbanded 16 years ago, but the original line up featuring Marcie Michelle Free (vocalist - King Kobra, Signal), Bruce Gowdy (guitarist – Stone Fury, World Trade), Guy Allison (keyboardist – Lodgic, World Trade, Doobie Brothers) , plus drummer - Jay Schellen (Hurricane, World Trade, Asia), and bassist - Larry Antonino (Pablo Cruise), who recorded the debut album are back together again. That debut was released back in 1992. They went on to release a further two albums with Kelly Hansen (Waiting For The Sun) and then Philip Bardowell (III) on vocals, but it is the debut that most people will remember. Mark Free later released "Long Way From Home" in 1993 and then in 1996 Marcie Free released "Tormented". The rest of the band have been actively involved in the music scene on various projects.
That Unruly Child debut is one of my favourite melodic rock albums, so I was very interested in hearing what this new album sounded like. The good news is that the magic chemistry that created the debut is still there. The album kicks off with "Show Me The Money" which is similar to the debut's "On The Rise". "Insane" is also uptempo to make sure the band have grabbed your attention.
However, it is when "When We Were Young" kicks in that you realise that the chemistry that created the debut is still there and that you are in for a treat when listening to the album. "Tell Another Lie" is a semi-ballad that just seems to flow effortlessly. "Love Is Blind" picks up the pace again and reminds me that I like this band because the don't just concentrate on ballads. The title track is another great track. A ballad crops up in the form of the "Talk To Me", which delivers in a no nonsense fashion. Things go a little askew on the moody "Life Death" which is in danger of becoming a mindless rocker as the band add Aerosmith and Led Zep to the mix.
"Read My Mind" on the other hand gets the band back on the rails with a track that just glides from the speakers Richard Marx style. "Neverland" is a big pulsating track with a good chorus designed to fill stadiums. There are a couple of tracks that justify the price of admission on their own. I have already mentioned "Read My Mind". The other is the AORtastic "Very First Time". At the start of "You Don't Understand" you could be forgiven for thinking you are listening to a progressive rock track and then the semi-acoustic section kicks in on this emotional and intelligent song where Marcie delivers some deeply personal lyrics.
Unruly Child have delivered an album that consistently delivers great songs and performances all round. Welcome back Unruly Child.
Rating: 4 stars
