Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: White Widdow
Label: AOR Heaven Records
Release: 2010
Rating: 4/5
White Widdow is a relatively young band (by formation date), since it only goes back to 2008. The Australian five-piece from Melbourne dropped their self-titled debut “White Widdow” two years into their run, so last year, and it’s a blessed example of how to approach old-school stuff in a new era. They shamelessly show off their creative inspiration from the radio-friendly rock of the eighties through a convincing core of top-quality songs and a more than happy combination of chemistry within the quintet, so that not at a single point can you say this is sterile copying of things that have already been invented in music.
Going by the numbers on their ID cards, the guys are by no means greenhorns. “White Widdow”, as a debut album, shows a convincing and clearly expressed focus, with a high level of maturity in using their songwriting talents to craft seductive, compact songs, peaking in highly infectious, ultra-melodic choruses. The production is crystal clear, with the guitar phrasing acting as the basic backdrop, against which the dynamic vocals of Jules Millis, cast in the mold of the AOR principle the band follows, are leaned. He handles every situation superbly. Above all, though, the band knows the power and effect of creating a highly vibrant atmosphere, which they capitalize on with a “crescendo” in the choruses, masterfully dressing the lead vocal with multi-layered, harmonized backing vocals (the chorus of Change Of Passion, with its superbly working vocal harmonies, sends real shivers down your spine).
The keyboard work evokes the real atmosphere of a bygone era that defined the sound of classic AOR bands like Giuffria, Airrace, Signal, classic “Scandi” AOR/melodic rock bands like 220 Volt, Renegade or Treat, with hints possible of the Canadians Aldo Nova, and at this point it’s also worth mentioning Australian colleague Rick Springfield, who equipped his classic albums of the eighties with similar synth sounds. There’s a bit of a veil hanging over the album here, one that keeps stirring up “west coast” Survivor nostalgia. Enzo Almanzi is a well-versed guitarist who took a lot of his know-how from the pioneering work of Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen) and George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob), which he knows how to capitalize on in hot, well-oiled guitar solos that are by no means pretentious and keep the highly melodic, vibrant atmosphere and the tight compactness of the material intact throughout this studio debut.
Never mind that the nods to AOR-rooted bands are raining down, it has to be stressed that White Widdow are one of the few new bands pulling this off in such a hugely successful and convincing way. There’s no feeling of pushiness or outright copying anywhere. “White Widdow” feels genuine through and through, which means the guys are heart and soul in it from start to finish.
“White Widdow” is an excellent starting point and a true cornerstone on which the band can confidently and carefree hone and build up their musical direction. It proves outstanding songwriting talent, resourcefulness, wit, power and know-how in the hunt for melodic AOR rock seductiveness, which hits you under the skin, infectious from the very first listen. The sense of pathos generated by the basically trivial messages in the verses never tips the weight of the album’s overall musical mood into whiny, sugary-sweet territory!
This debut is excellent, and the guys still have some creative reserves in the tank! That’s why I’m convinced White Widdow will “crank up” the sound of the debut even more and build on it in the future. It’s hard to single out highlights, given how polished every track is, including the lewdly flirty Broken Hearts Won’t Last Forever. With chorus arrangements as happy as the ones on this album, where the closing trio of One More Day, Change Of Passion and Fire & Ice stands out in that department, it’s clear when you hear a debut like this that AOR, as a genre relic from a long-gone era, will stay a clearly present force on the rock scene well into the new millennium.
Line-up
Jules Millis – vocals
Enzo Almanzi – guitar
Xavier Millis – keyboards
Trent Wilson – bass
Jim Naish – drums
Production
Martin Kronlund (mixing and mastering)
Track list
01. Shoukai (Intro)
02. Tokyo Rain
03. Broken Hearts Won’t Last Forever
04. We’ve Got The Wings
05. Cross To Bare
06. Don’t Fail Me Now
07. Spirit Of Fire
08. Shadows Of Love
09. One More Day
10. Change Of Passion
11. Fire & Ice
