THE BELLRAYS
Have a Little Faith
Cheap Lullaby
· Motown, schmotown baby!
The BellRays are a great band with an amazing live show and fairly impressive back catalogue. While their latest, Have A Little Faith, won’t do you wrong, it probably won’t set your world on fire either. Not quite raw or urgent enough, this slick release is well-produced and has some range, but is disappointing.
The opening track, "Tell the Lie," establishes a soulful tone with the incredible vocals of Lisa Kekaula in the spotlight. The listening experience continues into a few strong, though slightly repetitious, arrangements that juxtapose Kekaula’s voice with the quick and heavy rock instrumentation of Bob Vennum, Ray Chin and Tony Fate. A metronomic tambourine keeps you in time for more dynamic tracks like "Chainsong (I’ve Been Searchin’)," and the catchy punk-rockabilly of "Detroit Breakdown" and "Pay The Cobra" are hot numbers, for sure. Yet, regardless of whether the band is bringing it up or breaking it down, it sounds like the production is holding them back, which makes me long to see these songs performed live instead.
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