By Chyrisse Tabone, Rock At Night Tampa
Album Review: The New Roses’ Nothing But Wild! – release date August 2, 2019-Napalm Records
The New Roses are releasing their fourth studio album Nothing But Wild! through Napalm Records on August 2nd. The rockers, whom have opened for the likes of Kiss and Scorpions, really have a winner featuring a chock full of 13 songs plus two unplugged bonus tracks.
Listening to the album, The New Roses hit the ground running with hard-driving “Soundtrack of My Life” and “Can’t Stop Rock & Roll”—both in vein of sing-along 80s rock anthems, with soaring Steven Tyler-ish vocals. Still feeling revved up, the album segues into a real Southern rocker “Down By the River”, whose chorus paints a universal image of hanging out …with a six pack and a radio, down by the river…Like the Scorpions, one totally forgets these hard rockers are German–and not talking about hanging out in Alabama or Georgia.
The rock and roll party continues with “Running Out of Hearts”, “Nothing But Wild”, and “Unknown Territory”– sounding like Bon Jovi or perhaps Rick Springfield, with that retro 80s “cruisin’ in the car” feel. More southern rock vibes are heard in “Meet Me Half Way and “The Bullet”, a country rock ballad which takes us deep South again, describing “a six-pack on the passenger seat”, creating visions of pick-up trucks and Igloo coolers.
Other notables are the hard-driving “As the Crow Flies” and “Give & Take”, with its very infectious bass line and funky vibe—kind of nasty and 80s. More retro 80s feel arrives with “The Only Thing”, an anthemic ballad creating visions of MTV and “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” in my head.
Perhaps the biggest gems in the album are the two bonus tracks, beautiful unplugged versions of “Down By the River” and “Fight You Leaving Me”, from The New Roses 2017 album One More for the Road. Timmy Rough’s bluesy, raspy voice really stands out against the stripped, simplicity of acoustic guitars.
Overall, if you are expecting a hard rock or metal album—this isn’t it. If you are a real fan of 80s retro rock like Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, and Aerosmith, and yearn for newly created music which captures the tone and feel, Nothing But Wild! totally fits the bill! With the resurgence of bands like Blackberry Smoke and Black Stone Cherry and the continued popularity of Tedeschi & Trucks Band, Gov’t Mule, Allman Betts Band, the Southern rock genre is here to stay!
I grew up in a household full of rock music, studied journalism in college, and then became a scientist.Although my science career has served me well, music has always played a major role in my life. I grew up reading "Creem" magazine; I play several musical instruments as a "hobby";and it seems a camera has always been in my hand. Now, I am combining what I love the most--music and photography--serving as editor of Rock At Night. I travel between the US and UK seeking my dream! My motto: life is short...no regrets. Chyrisse
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