Big Blue World by Unruly Child (Frontiers Music Srl)
Big Blue World by Unruly Child (Frontiers Music Srl)
Unruly Child has always possessed a wistful, wide-eyed wonder to their progressive rock compositions, with their previous album Can’t Go Home showing up on many a Top Ten List of 2017 – including the one here at Highwire Daze Online. Featuring members who have been in acts such as World Trade, King Kobra, and even the Doobie Brothers, Unruly Child unveils a lineup that is more than capable of imagination and innovation. Big Blue World is the name of their latest magnum opus, and it’s an auditory journey that will impact the senses with its exhilarating soundscapes and passionate vocals.
Opening up the realm of Big Blue World is the spiraling Living In Someone Else’s Dream, where the listen is vividly encouraged to “Wake up! Step out of your mind!” All Over The World is vast and epic, with its heavy duty sonic entreaties and superbly inspirational vocals. Dirty Little Girl is a totally unexpected confection, showing that even Unruly Child can deliver rapturous tunes about wicked women with absolutely fiendish glee. Breaking The Chains is a liberating tapestry, with its acoustic based inflections combined impressively with the more intensive Zeppelin-style passages. Are These Words Enough is delivers the sonic goods tenfold, featuring cool and persuasive performances from the entire membership.
The second half of our traversing upon the Big Blue World commences with the sweeping Will We Give Up Today. Beneath A Steady Rain features a pensive piano interlude and the impassioned vocals of the one and only Marcia Michelle Free rendering this one a heartfelt standout. The Harder They Will Fall is pulsating and commanding, from its exhilarating speech by Winston Churchill at the beginning to its thrilling grand finale . Down And Dirty is another selection deliciously similar to the aforementioned Dirty Little Girl, once again demonstrating that Unruly Child can rock your socks off and leave you panting for a whole lot more. Closing out Big Blue World are the rip roaring refrains of The Hard Way, an explosive conclusion to what is clearly Unruly Child’s most ambitious and fully realized album to date.
The core trio who bring the magic and fascination of Unruly Child to ultra-vivid life are Marcie Michelle Free (King Kobra, Signal) on lead vocals, Bruce Gowdy (Stone Fury, World Trade) on guitars, keyboards, and vocals, and Guy Allison (Lodgic, World Trade, Doobie Brothers) on keyboards, percussion and vocals. Always in a state of challenge and evolution, Unruly Child continues to release compelling music that tantalizes the ears and enraptures the mind. Here’s hoping Unruly Child make their way to the States for some live shows – in the mean time, travel into the auditory empire of Big Blue World and prepare for an electrifying ride of a lifetime.
(Review by Ken Morton)
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