Find Me – Angels In Blue
www.frontiers.it

Rating: B

The time has come to pass and the duo Find Me returns to the scene almost four years after their most recent work and six since their debut in the AOR universe. Powered by fantastic vocalist Robbie LeBlanc and multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Daniel Flores, the project now features the illustrious presence of Michael Palace, a sure-fire addition to a band that invests heavily in the mix of AOR and Melodic Rock. And after two beautiful albums, "Angels In Blue" arrives as the new chapter in the history of one of the most successful projects Frontiers Records ever developed.

Musically, the new album doesn’t bring anything new to the table, but it’s not limited to being a copy of the band’s previous works. Predominantly rocker, "Chain Of Love", "True Believer", "Straight For Eternity" (featuring Marcus Nygren and Johan Thuresson of State Of Salazar) and "Can not Let Go" carry  Find Me's AOR features like engaging melodies and chilling choruses.

Following down the same musical road and evidencing the same primordial elements, "Living A Lie", "Angels In Blue", "Show Me What You'd Die For" (which sounds a whole lot like Sweden’s Work Of Art), the beautiful "Waiting For A Lifetime " and the excellent" Only The Lonely " also deserve maximum volume and your absolute attention, being legitimate representatives of the contemporary AOR so many of us we enjoy.

Still, the mid-pacer "One Last Kiss" shines in the tracklist, being worthy of maximum volume. On the other hand, their version of "Desperate Dreams" (originally recorded by Survivor in 1988) is absolutely unnecessary and totally disposable. A new song would fill the gap in a more respectable way.

Summing up, my dear friends, "Angels In Blue" is a good addition to Find Me’s catalog, packed with great songs and those flawless performances by Robbie LeBlanc. Unfortunately, the production of the album is borderline ridiculous. Months ago, when it was announced that the album would have a "more organic" production, it sounded bad to me. And my concerns materialized in the form of a set of great, but badly produced songs, all of them without the bright colors and the punch AOR requires. Both elements are present in Find Me’s  previous albums and it’s a shame this one is deprived of them.. So, the album just hit stores and I'm already expecting a remastered edition of "Angels In Blue", because the songs on it deserve it. And believe me, we fans, deserve it too.

Tracklist
01 No Tears In Paradise
02 Chain Of Love
03 True Believer
04 Straight For Eternity
05 Can not Let Go
06 One Kiss
07 Living A Lie
08 Angels In Blue
09 Show Me What You'd Die For
10 Waiting For A Lifetime
11 You Are The Only One
12 Desperate Dreams
13 Only The Lonely

By Juliano Mallon