Saying there are
Journey sounding bands is like saying music exists. There are so many lurking out there, and in such varying qualities, that it begins to all flow into one big ball of
Journey-ish sameness. The most recent of these attracting attention is the Brazilian band
Auras, who apparently had the formula down so pat, that everyone and their brother was ready to get their music out of the basement and into the big(ger) time.
"New Generation" is produced by Dennis Ward, so it sounds like a million bucks and has been released by Frontiers Records, but with all the notable names being flung around, does it really deserve all this hooplah? As always, such questions recieve mixed bag answers.
"New Generation" has nothing new about it, musically. However, this is a new generation of musicians and a brand "new" band, so it likely refers to that, rather than the outdated "classic" soft rock sound. The band borrows heavily from the usual lite-rock suspects, REO Speedwagon,
Journey,
Survivor, Bad English, Toto, Sheriff. They are all lifted from and mixed around, resulting in songs that are conglomerations of all these bands rolled together. It's a sense of deja vu that flits around your perception.
You've heard stuff so similar before, yet the songs themselves are "new". It is disorienting and even rather dependable after a time... The title track goes through the genre motions, light rock, big chorus, typical melodies. Vocalist Gui Oliver is Steve Perry and Perry admirer Hugo, rolled into one. With the slightest accent hiding underneath. The guitars are blackground fluff, churned out in melodic precision (and missing the boat on the passion) by Ferpa Lacerda. He's capable alright, he just doesn't put his soul into the strings, leaving the songs feeling a little light weight where the emotion is concerned.
"Beauty of Dreams" sees Gui working his voice in the same patterns as Perry and backed by a rolling melodic pacing. The keys are being leaned on quite heavily and it is the fluttering voice that keeps any interest alive and burning.
"In My Arms" has the subdued
Survivor fire. And you could continue on, pointing to bands that they mimic (and nail quite respectfully) through the twelve tracks and never once find anything that you could actually claim as their own.
Auras has no identity other than being "inspired by" (Insert appropriate band here,
Journey more often than not).
You could never say "this has an
Auras sound" because such a thing simply does not exist. Their own twist on the tunes has not yet been developed. Even with the lack of originality strike against them, the music so closely follows the blueprints of those they admire so deeply that these tracks are fresh substitutes for the real thing. It will likely kindle a renewed interest in the originators of this "Album/Adult Oriented" style. Ward's production makes the package as glossy and shiny as humanly possible on this kind of budget (which means it sounds like they spent a fortune if the year was 1983) and there is a certain sweet warbling quality to Gui's voice that makes him a pleasant listle to while away a few hours to. So if your veins bleed
Journey and your heart beats to Toto and you could not survive without your
Survivor fix, then this is worth a looksee to see what the "New Generation" of
AOR hopefuls have up for offer.
Written by
Alanna Thursday, May 6, 2010
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