UNRULY CHILD-Can’t Go Home

Frontiers Music srl

Hmm, a new CD from Unruly Child, that is always interesting. I am not too sure if this outfit is more a studio band as live appearances have been very rare. Fact is that there is always a bit of time between their albums. The last one that I can remember is ‘Worlds Collide’ released in 2010. Anyway, if you are familiar with Unruly Child you will not find a change of strategy or style on this one. The eleven songs are solid and played and sung by crafted musicians. Marcie Free may have changed from a man into a woman, the voice is still as good as it was on early Unruly Child records and just as good as Free’s old work with King Kobra and Signal (their first and only official album is still an absolute cracker). Marcie Free is all over this record with that voice that can be recognized anywhere. One of the most talented rock and AOR singers ever. So the vocal department is well taken care of on ‘Can’t Go Home’, the overall feeling I have with this one is that Unruly Child plays it a bit on safe by staying close to what they know best: a strong combination of AOR/heavy rock and several symphonic elements mixed in there as well. Drummer Jay Schellen and bassist Larry Antonino lay down a strong base and groove on which guitarist Bruce Gowdy and keyboardist Guy Allison can spread their sound colour and match that with Free’s outstanding vocals. Like I said, Unruly Child gives us a strong and very even balanced eleven track record that might not surprise the fans to the max but will satisfy them nevertheless.