Album Review
*** (3-Stars)
By Anthony Kuzminski
What can be said about Marty Casey and the Lovehammers? After being together for well over a decade, Casey tried out for Rockstar television show in 2005 featuring INXS and while he didn’t win, it allowed him enough exposure to finally take his band to new heights after three independent full-length records. Their self-titled major label debut (Marty Casey & Lovehammers ) was a rock-solid record with the genuinely phenomenal single “Trees”. Despite an assortment of side gigs, including one in Tracii Guns version of LA Guns, Casey has returned to the Lovehammers and together, they have created a record that to my astonishment is a colossal step forward. The band flexes their musical muscle proving they’re more than a fly-by-night success story. The trials and tribulations of being thrust into the spotlight, not to mention his many side projects has given Casey a refined outlook on life and his songwriting shows it. At their core, the Lovehammers are a united band of brothers whose friendship and history go back over two decades. Their shared history can be heard on their latest disc, Heavy Crown through burning performances that prove to be rather irrefutable.Melding influences from the last few decades, you hear a bit of pop, grunge and even hair metal thrown in here making for a varied listen with the amps turned up. “Your Time, My Time” is a solid bit of sugary pop, while “Find Your Way” invades you with a chorus that encompasses you like a gust of wind on a perfect day. “Honest I’ll Wait” features a soul searching lyric and a finely tuned vocal that may turn some off, but the zeal pulls you in never wanting to let go even when the song begins its fade out. “Oh My Baby” is a mid-tempo number performed with a hushed ambiance amidst some soaring melodies provided by the ringing guitar. “Driving Blind” evokes overriding optimism with a band shooting for the highest heights while “Neverfall” could very well find a home as their main set closer in concert as it pumps the adrenaline with persuasive energy.
Not all of Heavy Crown works for me. “Loaded” has its verses sung through a distortion echo box of sorts and while it’s inspired, it falls flat. “Black Angel” ventures into Nickelback territory a bit too much for my liking. However, as I listened to “That’s Life”, I was impressed with its minimalism and its directness. The song has no musical theatrics, but it’s a reminder that sometimes the best rock n’ roll is the most simplistic. The title track is a towering ballad featuring a beseeching vocal from Casey (his best on the record) with the band carefully inducing a sense of earnestness from their collective efforts. Ballads live and die depending on how well you can sell it. Aerosmith’s “Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” works because even though they didn’t write it, they dug deep and established empathy. On “Heavy Crown” Casey’s vocals and the band’s orchestral surging here are feel as good as the sun beaming onto your face on a perfect summer day. When the Lovehammers converge and transport songs like this, they take the listener away from their everyday troubles and in the end; can you fault anyone for that?
Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network and his daily writings can be read at The Screen Door and can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com.
