Chicago’s legendary 7th heaven return with yet another new studio album, this one featuring no less than 20 new cuts!
Back fronting the band for this album is the great Keith Semple, whose likable melodic tone is a perfect match for the happy go lucky anthemic pop/rock that guitarist and main writer Richie Hofherr seems to effortlessly churn out with spectacular regularity.
Maintaining the formula of past albums, there seems to be a couple of extra ingredients here to make this arguably the band’s best release yet.
First – the production quality is the best since the band’s classic Silver release. Extra thump in the drum department has gone a long way.
Second – the songs are simply unquestionably brilliant and totally infectious.
Each 7th heaven album manages to deliver several catchy pop/rock anthems to add to their already impressive list, but on Spectrum it’s simply song after song of instant hook gratification and sing-along perfection.
There’s a heartfelt emotion to this band’s music and that continues unabated here.
Just try and not sing along and tap your feet to the glorious fast moving anthems Stoplight, It’s You, in The City, Livin’ Life, Last Chance, Heads or Tails and a much improved re-recording of the last album’s best track We Live Life Young.
The band’s moodier side is amply explored on Dance In The Rain, Once In A Lifetime, Are We Up, Walk Another Mile, I’m Your Addict and Until The Day I Die.
Heartfelt ballads aren’t ignored either, with When You Say My Name and Holding My Breath For You both worthy of chart success.
Of course, with 20 tracks on offer there’s bound to be a few “misses”, but those will depend on tastes. For me the reggae of Join The Party and the rap infused duo of Living In Danger (despite another catchy chorus) and Jump Start represent the three tracks I reach for the skip button. But 3 skips out of 20 tracks is a ratio any major artist would be proud to boast.
7th heaven remain a Midwest phenomenon, but their worldwide cult following is only going to grow on the back of this superbly written and produced album of brilliantly catchy and likable melodic pop/rock gems.
Recommended for all readers to check out. Simply awesome.
