Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Three Lions
Label: Frontiers Records
Release: 2014
Duration: 58:03
Rating: 3.5/5
Three lions, not three righties! Around here, there are only righties left. Some more, some less. But never mind that. To be more explicit, we’re talking about a new outfit called “Three Lions”! Three British musicians, two of whom go back to the days of working together for AOR legends Ten and Dare: drummer Greg Morgan and guitarist Vinny Burns. Burns also lent a hand to Asia and to Magnum’s original voice Bob Catley on his solo studio albums. The third lion is the lesser-known bassist and singer Nigel Bailey.
The self-titled debut »Three Lions« offers 13 tracks, the fruit of the trio’s joint songwriting, with Alessandro Del Vecchio – the so-called “jack of all trades” at Frontiers Records – handling the final polish of the arrangements and chipping in a few ideas. He was also in charge of the album’s production, which was recorded in three studios split between the UK and Italy.
With »Three Lions«, Vinny Burns returns to the choices and placement of guitar phrases from his days in Dare and Ten. Vinny is still one hell of a guitar soloist! And you can feel it all over this album, even though the chemistry of the Three Lions crew is a completely different, brand-new musical story. All three musicians are incredibly wise and experienced, so they know what a solid, melodically seductive arrangement means, one that ignites in a burst of rock adrenaline and instantly combines greedy, grabby melodies. Opener Trouble in Red Dress shows that right away. A song like Hold Me Down would have no trouble landing on an album by FM or The Ladder project. Two Heart Beats As One recalls Foreigner’s ballads in its intro structure, while the chorus, with its mix of backing vocal harmonies and keyboards, brings to mind Asia in the John Payne era, whereas the chorus of Magdalena, later on the album, gets closer to Ten. Three Lions also try to stand out from predictable arranging by working in some “arabesques”, which is no longer a surprise in the world of AOR (the dark moment of the album, Kathamndu).
Vocally, though, in terms of voice and tone, Bailey is neither Steve Overland (FM, Overland) nor Gary Hughes (Ten); his timbre leans a bit toward Steve Newman (Newman). Three Lions bring absolutely nothing new or unheard to the rich landscape of AOR and melodic rock, and it’s clear that »Three Lions« is a typical example of the British approach to both genres. It carries that recognizable melancholic veil, which is present, just like in the bands mentioned above, in Heartland, Newman, Kick,…
A nicely contrasted, dynamic and lively sound picture, with the required organic warmth and a pronounced bass foot, dresses up the 12 tracks, which keep up a cunning use of the formula of effectively combining rock punch with bombastic, ultra-melodic catchiness. The album’s one problem is that there are too many songs, which creates the effect that the lead guitar phrases start to sound a bit too much alike.
The trio’s sense of melody is exceptional and polished, and with all the experience these musicians have, it’s basically enough to make a quality album that can win over melodic rock fans, especially those who are particularly keen on the British approach to the genre! No standout moments, and a feeling we’ve heard these phrases somewhere, long ago, but still delivered with plenty of dedication and heart. Satisfying, but it’s not exactly going to knock planet Earth out of its orbit!
Lineup
Nigel Bailey – vocals, bass guitar
Greg Morgan – drums
Vinny Burns – guitar, keyboards
Production
Alessandro Del Vecchio
Track List
1. Trouble in a red dress
2. Hold me down
3. Twisted soul
4. Winter sun
5. Just a man
6. Holy water
7. Two heart beats as one
8. Kathmandu
9. Made for one another
10. Magdalena
11. Don’t let me fall
12. Hellfire highway
13. Sicilian kiss
