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Find Me - 2015 Dark Angel

19 Nov 2015


ARTIST: Find Me
ALBUM: Dark Angel
LABEL: Frontiers
SERIAL: FRCD 713
YEAR: 2015
SPONSOR: Frontiers Portal

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

LINEUP: Robbie Lablanc - lead and background vocals * Philip Lindstrand - guitars, bass, backing vocals * Soren Kronqvist - keyboards * Daniel Flores - drums, keyboards, backing vocals

Additional Musicians: Angelica Rylin - vocals on 'Another Day' * Christopher Vetter - lead and clean guitars * Thomas Vikstrom, Angelica Rylin, Redas Jefisovas - backing vocals

TRACK LISTING: 01 Nowhere To Hide * 02 Let Love Rule * 03 Forever * 04 Another Day * 05 Dark Angel * 06 Bleed In Tha Rian * 07 Face To Face * 08 Where Do I Go * 09 Midnight Memories * 10 Don't Slip Away * 11 Did You Feel Any Love * 12 I'm Free

RATING:

Background
I don't care about what people think about 'project-driven AOR', Find Me is just fantastic music whatever the situation is. I loved the debut CD, but this is gonna set my 2015 alight. Interesting that the best discs seem to be coming at years end, and within the race to the finish line, Find Me are sneaking up on the inside rail and could steal the prize right on the wire! From start to finish, the songs on the album are wickedly good. Though it maybe a split USA/Sweden project, this just sets my CD player on fire. Forget anything Daniel Flores has been involved with previously, Find Me is his calling card, and this should be his major focus looking toward the future. The vocals from Robbie LeBlanc are sensational throughout, and even though I've just submitted my top 5 albums of the year to the Forum so far, I believe that will change significantly from here on in, with this album at the forefront!

The Songs
No two ways about it, the songs here are just killer! Just navigating past the first four tracks will be difficult, because I keep winding back for a repeat-play. The opening duo of 'Nowhere To Hide' and 'Let Love Rule' will smack you around the head like a tin full of kippers! Slam this up to 11 on your CD player and annoy the fuck out of your neighbours in the process! 'Forever' drops into slo-mo ballad territory, and while good, it's overtaken by the racy 'Another Day', primo AOR for 2015. Man, forget all other pretenders. This is where it's at! The title track is next, and the whole interaction between vocals, guitars and keyboards is practically seamless. The chorus might be slightly throwaway (think Miley Cyrus 'Wrecking Ball'), but I'll forgive them their dues. 'Bleed In The Rain' is the obligatory power ballad, while Face To Face' will come at you from 360 degrees. The sonic array of 'Where Do I Go' dribbles melodies all over the place, and comes close to my favourite moment on the album. An incredible song, with an equally killer chorus. 'Midnight Memories' and 'Did You Feel Any Love' keep the dramatics in play. By now, superlatives are token, and totally unnecessary given the circumstances. Plucky synths introduce the closer 'I'm Free', sending this one back to 1985 on the timescale. Great nonetheless.

In Summary
Wow, what can I say that hasn't already been said? Near perfect modern day AOR with incredulous songs. I need a lie down..

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Comments

#1 | gdazegod on November 19 2015 19:24:46
Find Me - 2015 Dark Angel Trailer
[movie=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n28B_nuhxA[/movie]
#2 | gdazegod on December 01 2015 09:10:35
Find Me - 2015 Nowhere To Hide
[movie=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz3JFNT3qgc[/movie]
#3 | gdazegod on December 01 2015 09:11:13
Find Me - 2015 Let Love Rule
[movie=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoCQipdeZNs[/movie]
#4 | jeffrey343 on December 13 2015 21:22:14
The first Find Me album was, to me, a case of the whole being less than the sum of the parts. I think the songs themselves were quite good. But the arrangements were too samey - not enough variations in instrumentation, guitar tone, or overall rhythmic approach.

The guys didn't ask my opinion on how to improve their next album, but they must have read my mind. This one is excellent. The songs have a much more immediate impact, and the stylistic touches differentiate the songs as the album flows from song to song. LaBlanc sounds great. He has a powerful voice, and I've noticed in past projects that he sometimes has a tendency to overpower a song. I don't hear that on this album. 'Forever' is a great example - it is superb. Keyboards are used to great effect throughout the album, just like many of us like. The songs are all strong and well-written.

I wish I had not heard Miley Cyrus's 'Wrecking Ball' for the past year before hearing 'Dark Angel', as I'm trying to un-hear Miley's song (hope I didn't ruin this song for anyone) - it's like that H.e.a.t song last year sounding a lot like a Britney Spears song.

Covers of classic songs are always a very tricky affair. I've always liked Kenny Loggins' 'I'm Free', but these guys perform it as well as I've heard anyone cover a well-known hit. If I didn't already know that song and you told me one of these 12 songs is a cover from the early 80s, I'd pick this as the one, but that's simply because of the style of the song. Find Me performs it like it's their own song, and that's no small task.

Overall, a great album that should appeal to a bunch of you guys.
#5 | melodiapositiva on January 20 2016 19:34:29
Sorry but for me all these bands sound the same .I like the singer but i have the feeling that if i put all these songs without the space to separate them, its all the same wall of sound.I think i dont really like this 'modern aor', if i want to hear top quality aor from 2015 i choose toto Xiv and not much more...
#6 | gdazegod on January 20 2016 23:06:48
I haven't heard one band that sounds like Find Me. Name me a couple.. ?
#7 | melodiapositiva on January 21 2016 20:05:16
you only have to take any of the swedish bands from frontiers, they all sound the same .
I dont say they are bad, i even like some songs, but 10,11,12 or more songs in the same disc its boring .I think its the production of these albums what i dont like.It doesnt matter if im hearing pride of lions,place vendome, lionville, care of night ....the only thing that changes are the voices,the music in the background sounds all the same to me.
Altough I have to recognise that the second sonic station cd is great!
This is only a personal opinion, as i understand that there's people who doesn't like the sound of the 70s aor and i love it!
#8 | melodiapositiva on January 23 2016 12:22:49
in the nordic union review you explain (gdazegod)exactly how i'm feelig about new melodic rock bands ...
#9 | Jez on February 02 2016 12:51:00
Album number 2 and once again, for me, an artist making a big step up in terms of songs, production and overall quality. I'll cut to the chase, this is, by far the best AOR disc of the year and whilst I am generally no big fan of these 'Project' type albums, this has won me over with the sheer quality of everything on offer. The standard of the songs on here is to the max, with absolutely no fillers whatsoever, just majestic melodic rock with soaring choruses throughout, with even the Kenny Loggins 'I'm Free' cover being very well done. The performance are also of major note, Robbie LaBlanc is absolutely superb on vocals and probably the best I have heard him on any album and the rest of the musicians back him up in very fine fashion. It doesn't get much better than this when it comes to this genre and this really is the absolute cream of the crop

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