The multi-faceted PAT!i is a mystery. The faceless musician, said to have worked within various genres ranging from hardcore to hip hop, brings a variety of sounds to ‘Sahara شع ةينامثو ةئام’. Although not a true smorgasbord of his talents, the music he presents on the album is never dull. It takes in various different influences, always suggesting the work of a man who isn’t short of ideas.
Listen: The Fierce And The Dead unveil new Colin Edwin version of ‘Golden Thread’
Every new Fierce And The Dead album is different from the one before. It’s what keeps the band vibrant and interesting. However, they’d never taken a musical leap quite as bold as on their 2023 album ‘News From An Invisible World’. A lot of the music felt more commercial – without being commercial – and a few of the riffs steered away from the heavier moments of the previous fan favourite ‘The Euphoric’. A much bigger change came with the addition of vocals. This new song-oriented Fierce/Dead could still summon the sound of a riff-based truck if and when required, but Kev Feazey’s voice brought a whole new dimension from which the band would surely grow further.
Watch: Shannon Smith shares video for ‘Valentine’s Day’
Shannon Smith’s solo recording career – following an EP recorded with Helen Townsend – got off to a great start, since his debut single ‘Dance The Night Away’ was an insanely catchy slab of pop. Its jaunty rhythms gave a vague nod to the mighty Jellyfish and a simple wordless hook ensured that pretty much anyone who heard it would love it. The mood was perfect for a song sharing the feelings that come with having a marriage proposal accepted.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #39
Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore the individual mp3s that have landed in our inbox over the past few weeks. As usual, there has been a bumper crop. This week, we bring you a singer songwriter who uses low key electronica to their advantage, some massive sounding post rock, the son of a Beatle, a throwback to the 90s (in the best possible way), and more besides. Dive in… It’s all good!
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HONEYMOON SUITE – Alive
The first three Honeymoon Suite albums are an essential part of any decent melodic rock/AOR album collection. Songs like ‘New Girl Now’, ‘Feel It Again’, ‘Bad Attitude’ and ‘Lookin’ Out For Number One’ should have made them as big as Journey and Survivor, but outside of the US and Canada, the band never achieved any more than cult status. Any relative lack of success elsewhere wasn’t for the want of trying, however. Millions of people have actually heard Honeymoon Suite without realising it, since their ‘Lethal Weapon’ appeared on the soundtrack of the film of the same name in 1987. Unfortunately, the end credits failed to mention this…robbing the band of some very easy publicity.