From the enchanting opening to “Dark Days” filled with distant church bells and a rolling piano melody, Louder Than Love presents a collection of songs in time with the artistic theme expressed by the cover art. A single red flower stems up from the crackling cement; the band entices its audience to, “remember your smile before you trade it for gold”. The atmosphere of steady rock mixed with vocal harmonies and drums makes for an impacting song which catches the ear and leads into the rest of the album.

The bass line heavy start to “Just Like You” feels kind of funky and bluesy. The echo of the background vocals makes this song extremely easy to find yourself singing and swaying to the guitar bends. The circular chorus in “Bringing You In” works well with the steady rhythm on the bell of the ride cymbal, “Drown she's under my skin...softly, she's bringing me in and when she sings her song it won't take you long to drown she's under my skin...”. Other great tracks include, “Bad Apple” which has the marching drum feel in its opening. The keyboard work captures the melody while the drums continue rolling almost like a military march. The rhythm to the words in the pre-chorus work well transitioning into the catchier chorus with great back up vocals.

The ballad, “Flood the Gates” contains the formula for catharsis while having a good time digging deep into lyrics like, “you don't need me no more. You don't want me at your door”. The slide playing is not outstanding, but the arrangement with the solo leads the listener in with a satisfying mix of blues and rock.

Overall, Louder Than Love released a radio-ready collection of catchy tunes.

Review by Ellen Eldridge