Revelation, the new album from Los Lonely Boys, is full of bright,
positive pop vibes. It’s a mix of pop, rock and country, and even a bit of
reggae. Many of its tracks deal with that perennial pop topic, love. And
perhaps because of the number of love songs, there are also some cheesy lyrics.
In “So Sensual,” they sing, “I’ve been
swept off my feet by the girl with the sparkling eyes/Love the smell of her
hair when she passes by it makes me smile.” These are songs mainly designed
to make you feel good, and while they’re not really breaking any new ground,
there are some good tunes, and one stand-out track (“Everything About You”).
Revelation opens with “Blame It One Love,” a song with a feel-good
country rock rhythm and full of positive vibes. It’s a tune about how love can
change you, change your desires and actions, as in: “Her girlfriends say sometimes/That she lost her mind/’Cause she gave up
on her dreams/All for the diamond ring.” There is a bit of a cheesy element
when they sing, “It can make you high or
bring you down/Or make you laugh and cry/It can turn your whole life upside
down/If you need a reason why,” but then immediately picks up with some
nice work on guitar. This is one of the album’s best tracks. It was written by
Henry Garza and Joey Garza.
Los Lonely Boys dip into
the world of reggae on “Give A Little More,” the song’s lyrics fitting well
with that rhythm and its message of reaching out to your fellow man, with lines
like “We’ve got to live as one.”
Sure, they resort to some clichés like “What
goes around comes around/Life isn’t always what you planned.” But I dig the
opening lines: “Take a look at
yourself/Don’t believe everything you see” (mixing two lines that are close
to clichés, but whose combination gives both a new bent, and shows a sense of
humor).
I like the more acoustic
feel of “It’s Just My Heart Talkin.’” This song still has a pop thing
happening, with a bit of a bouncy rhythm, and is one of the many love songs on
the album. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “It’s
just my heart talkin’ to you and I don’t know what to say/But I’m putting all
my love out on the line/It’s just my heart talkin’ to you/Telling you I want
you to be mine.” Kim Waryner (of the excellent band The Greencards) plays mandolin on this track.
“There’s Always Tomorrow”
is even more in the pop world, but it’s undeniably catchy. It’s an interesting love song
about living in the present, telling your loved one how you feel. “There’s always tomorrow/But what if I don’t
wake up, what did I leave behind/Why do I always say/There’s always
tomorrow/Why don’t I live today/Telling the ones I love/I love you.” This
one is really growing on me.
“Don’t Walk Away” is a
love song of sorts, in which the woman he loves is not trusting. She checks up
on him in lines like, “I see you goin’
through my pockets and you say you smell perfume/Baby, that ain’t cool” and
“Now you’re calling all my friends trying
to find out where I’ve been.” This is a woman that he should be walking
away from instead of begging not to walk away. So I get really annoyed by the
song’s perspective.
This album is weakest on
its harder tracks, particularly “Can’t Slow Down” and “Rule The World.” In “Can’t
Slow Down,” he sings, “So I got a lot of
tattoos/And I got long hair/You can say what you want to/But I just don’t care/I’m
not trying to be different.” Clearly.
“Dream Away” has a bit of
a nod to “La Bamba” right at the beginning. This one has more positive vibes
and a positive message: “Don’t stop
dreaming/Just dream away/Now when you’re worried/Or afraid and all alone/You
can dream away/When life’s a hurry/And it seems you can’t go on/You can dream
away.” A short section of this song is in Spanish.
There are more positive
vibes on “The Greatest Ever,” a more acoustic song. Sure, its main line is simple:
“You’re the greatest ever.” But I
like the sound of this song a lot. Partly that's due to the presence of Rashad Eggleston on cello. This song is a direct message of love and hope. Though
I could do without lines like the cliché “Spread
your wings and fly” and “And never
say never and don’t you forget to pray.”
By far, my favorite track
is the album’s closer, “Everything About You.”
It’s a simple love song, but it’s totally effective. It’s honest and sweet,
with a more acoustic feel, which I love. And it still has a bit of a catchy
rhythm. Plus, there is a nice (though short) instrumental section, led by
guitar. “All I know is there’s something
in your eyes/And it shows/I can see it in your smile/Who knows if it’s going to
work out right/All I know is I love everything about you.” Fernando
Castillo plays flugelhorn on this track.
CD Track List
- Blame It On Love
- Give A Little More
- It’s Just My Heart Talkin’
- There’s Always Tomorrow
- So Sensual
- See The Light
- Don’t Walk Away
- Can’t Slow Down
- Dream Away
- The Greatest Ever
- Rule The World
- Everything About You
Revelation is scheduled to be released on January 21, 2014 on
Playing In Traffic Records.
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