Airrace – Untold
Stories
Airrace are one of
those bands that so could have easily passed you by in the 1980’s. For me it
was pure chance. A lad who I worked with was a fellow young rock fan and showed
no signs of liking AOR, melodic rock and anything with a parpy keyboard. Until
one day he came in with a cassette for me to listen to. It was ‘Shaft Of
Light’. He raved, I said I’d listen. Well, it was free music. I loved it! I
still do. Its up there, almost, with Indiscreet and Native Sons, its that good.
However it was short lived, and their star ascended and then imploded in a very
short time as Airrace were done by the summer of ’85. Their second album, which
came a mere 27 yrs after the debut was also well worth the wait. (review here -
https://www.chesyrockreviews.com/2011/07/airrace-back-to-start.html)
Murrell was still in position and sounded as great as he did all that time ago.
Fast forward to
2018 and here is their third album ‘Untold Stories’. Thankfully its here a bit
sooner than 2038! Apart from Mansworth, it’s a complete change of personnel. In
comes Dhani Mansworth (drums, The Treatment), Linda Kelsey Foster (Keyboards);
Rocky Newton (Bass, Lionheart, ex-MSG), and Adam Payne (ex-Sepentine, Tidal).
The undoubted gem
here is Adam Payne. The songs here are fantastic, but I did not expect this
level from him, he has certainly upped his game, and Mansworth has cajoled a
performance out of him that will undoubtedly bring him greater recognition. For
now he is Mansworths and Airrace’s and lets just enjoy that. As a quick
comparison – with Serpentine he sounded like Gary Hughes, and now with Airrace,
he sounds more like Adam Lambert! That’s some vocal change. I shit you not!
So what do we
have? Well, if you are already acquainted with Airrace then it’s a complete no
brainer. If you are new to these guys then you are in for one of the AOR treats
of 2018, if not THE treat of 2018. Opening track ‘Running Out Of Time’ has a
beat and pulse that just hits you full in the face (and ears). Its grandiose and Queen by any other name,
and it’s a great way to introduce yourself, Mr Payne. It is one of the best
tracks you’ll hear this year. ‘Innocent’ gain harks back to a time when this
would have sold by the millions, and Kelsey Foster’s keys are literally ‘the
key’ to ‘Innocent’.
‘Eyes Like Ice’
sounds like it’s the opening salvo to a Marvel movie (Wonder Woman) – it could
easily grace a movie, such is its composition, with its big sounding chorus and
cracking riff. On ‘Different But The Same’ Airrace and Payne in particular
channels his inner Robert Plant for a very Zeppelin-esque heavy blues, stomping
number, and is accompanied by some great organ playing (oo-er). If ‘Different..’
was Zep, then ‘New Skin’ has Deep Purple running through its veins with its
Jorn Lord and Blackmore influence. An album wouldn’t be a melodic rock album
without a ballad, and here on ‘Lost’ its maxed out with some fantastic layered
harmonies that sets this ballad apart from the pack. Its ELO melded with REO
and is something else. Its so smooth, you could use it for a chocolate advert. Marvellous!
‘Love Is Love’ IS
Supertramp with a bit of Foreigner thrown in with its snappy and crunchy beat. ‘Men
From The Boys’ has a nice big dirty riff, but someone with a voice as high as
Payne, doesn’t quite carry off the sentiment. “Summer Rain’ is pure unabashed pop, and is a
summer track to be sure and could easily be picked up by Radio 2! ‘Come With
Us’ is back on track and is all riff, and is straight out rock n roll at its finest. ‘Untold Stories’
is over all too soon with ‘Here It Comes’, yet another feel good song that
shows of Payne’s vocals.
What’s on offer
here isn’t new, based on all the little influences, but all the songs are of a
very high quality and have been written and performed better than most will
muster in 2018 or any other year.
If I rock up at Wolverhampton and Payne
hasn’t got a blue badge in the van I’d be surprised, as this dude has traded his
left bollock to sound this good.
'Untold Stories'
wears its heart on its 70s velvet sequined sleeve and its legs in their 80s legwarmers.
It's in my Top 3 of the year so far, and something will have to be bloody great
to move this out.
I hope they can
keep this line up together, as its pure gold. They deserve another album out of
Frontiers, hopefully in a couple of years and not the long wait we have had so
far. If it all finished tomorrow, its one hell of a way to bow out. Lets hope not.
Review 9/10
Review by Paul
Chesworth
Airrace are –
Laurie Mansworth –
Guitar
Adam Payne –
Vocals
Rocky Newton –
Bass
Linda Kelsey
Foster – Keyboards
Dhani Mansworth –
Drums
Tracklisting –
Running Out Of
Time
Innocent
Eyes Like ice
Different But The
Same
New Skin
Lost
Love Is Love
Men From The Boys
Summer Rain
Come With Us
Here It Comes
September Tour –
with The Treatment and
21.09.18CARDIFF
Clwb Ifor Bach
22.09.18LONDON
Underworld
23.09.18NORWICH
Waterfront
24.09.18CAMBRIDGE
Portland
27.09.18WOLVERHAMPTON
Slade Rooms
28.09.18SHEFFIELD
Corporation
29.09.18NEWCASTLE
Cluny
30.09.18GLASGOW
Stereo
Released 10th August 2018Available on CD and Vinyl!
https://www.facebook.com/Airraceofficial/
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