Artist: Big Life
Label: AOR Heaven Records
Release: 2011
Running time: 62:22
Rating: 4/5
Big Life is a two-man project that has dragged the seemingly written-off British vocalist Mark Thompson Smith back from the dead. The guy put himself on the rock map with his vocals on the 1993 Praying Mantis EP “Only Children Cry” and a superb solo studio album from 1998 called “A Far Cry From New Yersey”. That Mark is far from your average canary is proven by the call-up he got from seventies glam rock legends The Sweet, whom he helped finish the Scandinavian leg of their 2005 tour. The other half of the project is British musician, songwriter, arranger and producer Steve Newman, known for his band Newman and seven studio albums under his belt. The two have been friends for ages, and Mark Thompson Smith has sung backing vocals on a dozen Newman albums.
The album is the culmination of the great chemistry between the duo, and it was reportedly recorded in just two weeks. Thompson – Smith makes it clear on the record that his vocal chops haven’t dried up or gone rusty (“growled out”) during the years off, because he shows off outstanding command of articulation throughout: a strong, assertive, highly melodic vocal sweep with incredible flexibility when it comes to carrying the power from the mid range up to the high and highest registers. No wonder he was able to temporarily stand in for The Sweet’s “Heaven-high screamer” Tony O’Hora (funnily enough, Tony O’Hora is no stranger in the Praying Mantis discography either).
On some songs, and I’m aiming mostly at the chorus melodies here, the material could easily serve as a template for the kind of chorus hooks Praying Mantis still use today, but first and foremost (quite logically) it’s closest to the style Newman cultivate. If Steve Newman were singing, we’d basically have a new Newman album on our hands.
The album is a textbook example of the British approach to melodic rock, which has no time for jokes and flippancy in its melodies, and only rarely flirts with bluesy elements and/or trivial starting points based on rock n’ roll stomping, which are often the hallmarks of the American approach. The atmospheric veil is mildly melancholic throughout, soaks up some mystique and, of course, a hidden longing, and comes across as very down-to-earth. The production is classic. The eighties are obviously its absolute role model, but that classic “eighties” school has been carried over into modern times. The album boasts a crystal-clear production that nevertheless kicks and pulses with incredible liveliness, thanks above all to the excellently produced low end, with a clearly thickened, melodic bass line leading the way.
As is the habit of every healthy melodic rock approach, the songs are built so that the mood climbs gradually. The atmospheric peaks in the choruses are boosted by masterful backing multi-vocals, a harmonious blend of Steve’s and Mark’s vocal lines. The mid range is thus filled out optimally and achieves what matters most in melodic rock: a highly vibrant mood that this album rides high on, keeping the listener firmly glued to it.
In terms of compositional expression, the first half of the album is stronger than the second, where a song or two sneaks in that could have waited “in reserve” and been recorded for another album, for other times. The opener Dying Day, with its obscure setup but excellent display of pomp, instantly gets the mood standing at full attention. Smith’s polished vocals are generously backed by a cunningly constructed levelling of smooth, flowing keyboard collages (that specific eighties synth sound) and guitar riffing. In the first half the album simply can’t and won’t let up in its incredible pursuit of a highly vibrant, ultra-pompous atmosphere, dictated by a refined sense for shaping melodically perfect and polished motifs. The album keeps building on this constantly, and the third track, Better Man, is a typical example of a song that would have been a mega radio hit in the mid-eighties, so boldly is it stitched together to hit optimal melodicity that lodges under your skin from the first listen. Next comes another strong mood switch into the mystical Calling, with its prominent drama element, which also ranks among the songs with one of the best choruses on the album.
This time around Steve Newman has devoted more attention to guitar work, especially the solos, and dressed it all up delicately with a tasteful, juicy blanket of keyboards. In sound, the album comes across a touch harder than your typical Newman record. Moments of acoustic tinkering are of course included. The most successful song at that is surely Deep Water, with the most dynamic arrangement on the album and an unexpected detour in the form of a longer instrumental outro with a gorgeous guitar solo.
The weaker spots are found in the second half of the album. The first is At The End Of My Rainbow, with a slightly annoying flippancy in the vocals run through a distorted effect in the verse. Interest in the second half is also dampened by the back-to-back mellow songs Leaves and Stop In Time, which creates a feeling of repeating moves already made on the album. Luckily, the album thunders back once more near the end with the wound-up Takin’ Me Down, one of the most snarling and direct songs on the record, which shoots a fresh dose of adrenaline into your blood. This is where the album should have ended, since two more songs follow that you could easily do without, compared with the arrangements of the first six tracks. Of course, the problem is that a CD offers a whopping 80 minutes of playing time, so a bit of “overdoing it” is allowed, even if it’s not always welcome, let alone necessary.
However you slice it, this is an excellent album and a warm recommendation to everyone who’s into polished melodic rock that hits instantly. Let me hint that a new Newman album is right around the corner, and it’ll be interesting to draw comparisons with this one, especially to see how much expressive insight Steve Newman still has left in reserve for the new album from his band.
Lineup
Mark Thompson-Smith – vocals
Steve Newman – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Rob McEwen – drums, percussion
Production
Steve Newman
Track list
1. Dying Day
2. Close To You
3. Better Man
4. Calling
5. I’ll Still Be Here
6. Feel Alive
7. Deep Water
8. At The End Of My Rainbow
9. Leaves
10. Stop In Time
11. Takin’ Me Down
12. Nothing Without You
13. Special Relationship (hidden track)
