I must say that there is no way that Jimi sounds as if he was born in Lanarkshire, but rather that he hails from somewhere over the Atlantic. He has been around the AOR/melodic hard rock scene for quite a while now, forming Sahara, performing on various TV shows, and fronting A Foreigner’s Journey for a few years before deciding that his next venture was going to be a band bearing his own name. The only thing that makes one realise that this is an album from 2017 and not some forty years earlier is the quality of the production - this really is an album from a bygone age. Earlier today I was playing Boston’s incredible debut album, and although this isn’t in the same multi-million selling league, this more than stands up to scrutiny in comparison. One thing that is very much in its favour is a blues undertone, especially on songs such as “Welcome To The Revolution” which is definitely influenced by classic Bad Company.
What makes this album such a delight is that it hasn’t be sanitised out of existence, something too many AOR bands feel they must do. There is an edge, a vitality, which gives this a real lift: the songs are catchy, and if this was the early Eighties then all these would be hits with massive radio play, but it will be down to the underground to push this album, which it deserves as it is class, sheer class. If you enjoy bands such as classic Foreigner, then this is something you need to seek out.
