KENT HILLI – The Rumble

The talented Kent Hilli (who is known for his work with the kick-ass melodic hard rock outfit Perfect Plan) recently released this slick, polished solo affair of his, and if you are into bands such as Journey, Foreigner, Survivor, the Joe Lynn Turner-era of Rainbow, and Boston, this eleven-track offering is for you.

This crisp and clear-sounding opus is quite heavy on the synthesizers and will take you right back to the 70s and 80s in terms of its arrangements and vocal melodies, but the production is quite modern and there is nothing dated about "The Rumble" at all. Did I mention that it is absolutely loaded with hooks? Well, it is, and there can be no doubt that having Hilli team up with the skilled songwriter/musician Mike Palace was a fine idea as evidenced by the melancholy genius of "Cold" and the instantly appealing "Does It Feel Like Love", "Love Can Last Forever", and the slightly rawer "Miss Up to No Good". I would have liked a bit more groove and swagger here and there and perhaps even a looser feel occasionally as certain parts come across as a little stiff-sounding, but in the overall perspective, these compositions deliver the goods. They are memorable and speak of longing and heartache in the grand tradition of the aforementioned Foreigner, and that cannot be a bad thing, can it?

In short, "The Rumble" is a good, solid batch of infectiously catchy and well-produced tunes, and I love the fact that the song material is so uplifting and contains such a positive spirit in a certain sense. Listening to this one always puts a smile on my face and I suggest you check it out so that you can decide whether or not it works like a charm for you too.

 

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