Hot off the back of their recent headline appearance at HRH AOR in Great Yarmouth, FM are back with a new album that is set to knock your socks off.
The group’s latest offering marks their milestone 40th anniversary, which is rather aptly tied into the title Old Habits Die Hard.
The record gets underway with the recent single Out Of The Blue, which is a true earworm. One listen and you can’t get it out of your head. You can’t help yourself but sing along with Steve Overland on the song’s infectious chorus.
The album continues with the smooth sounds of Don’t Need Another Heartache. It’s another slice of classic FM and the type of song which will work so well in the live environment on the band’s forthcoming UK tour.
No Easy Way Out starts with some atmospheric fretwork and twin-part guitar harmonies from Kirkpatrick and Overland. The track is a heartfelt mid-tempo number, with a chorus as big as the band’s back catalogue.
Lost switches things up with a slightly rockier groove and some fuzzy guitar riffs from Kirkpatrick. The song ebbs and flows and is underpinned by quite a moody aesthetic that works incredibly well.
Black Water as the title indicates is quite an atmospheric number which sits more on the bluesy side of the band’s repertoire. Overland gives a real heart and soul delivery throughout the song. The track sits nicely in the middle of the album.
The harmonious sounds of Leap of Faith are most welcome. Kirkpatrick’s blistering solo in the latter stages of the song really stands out on the number.
The album receives a splash of sunshine, and the thoughts of warmer climes via California. The release comes to a close via contemporary rock number Another Day In My World and the rather intricate Blue Sky Mind.
The group’s new album finds FM in classic form, with an album which features the fundamental elements of the band’s tried and tested sound.
Review by Adam Kennedy
