The band have successfully managed to incorporate some crunchy guitar playing with a flair for a true sense of melody.

This Swedish band have been knocking around for a few years now and they have, by all accounts, produced some decent albums in the past. However, I've only been aware of these guys in the last eighteen months or so (I've only heard their 'Breaking News' and 'Captured Live' records) and to my ears they peddle a decent line in seventies-influenced Rock 'n' Roll; I believe this is their fourth studio album so my hopes were high as I approached this release.

'Bring it Up' features some saxophone and brass work which help to make this an effective opener. The likes of 'Out Of Gas' and 'Sweet Livin'' build upon that, the latter being a tasty, almost Southern-type rocker and the former a cracking piece of hard Power Pop. 'Cogitator' has a cool groove to it with a catchy chorus and infectious hook, and I can even detect a certain ABBA tune ('Does Your Mother Know?') in there somewhere; maybe it's the Swedish influences coming through? 'Decelerate', to my ears at least, sounds like something Aerosmith might have put out in the late seventies and it's unquestionably a highlight.

Elsewhere, there are the likes of 'Ms. Sunshine' and 'Standing In My Way' which both demonstrate that they wear those seventies influences firmly on their sleeves. The one and only time the group slow it all down is on 'Baby You've Been A Fool', and this song is without a doubt the best thing on show. It's got a great chorus and a real smouldering vibrancy to it.

Overall, this album is a most enjoyable listen as the band have successfully managed to incorporate some crunchy guitar playing with a flair for a true sense of melody. Yes, it's fairly straight-ahead Rock 'n' Roll, but it's performed with an intensity and passion that probably belies their years. I think it's time I checked out their earlier work.

Malcolm Smith