| Fair Warning Brother's Keeper | Frontiers Records FRCD297 |
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Fair Warning return after a break some fans thought might be permanent. The band broke into two side projects – Dreamtide and Soul Doctor – both offering something a little different from the traditional FW sound. But fans always want the original and I am happy to say that Fair Warning pick up exactly where they left off with their comeback album Brother's Keeper. The band hasn't changed anything. Brother's Keeper mixes the best of 4 and Rainmaker and sees the band use the same guitar sound, vocal style and production feel as their past records. Everything that the band is known for is back - the guitars are big, the keyboards swirl in the background, Tommy Heart is in fine voice and the overall production has that epic feel. Don't Keep Me Waiting kicks off the album in fine uptempo bravado – typical Fair Warning. Generation Jedi continues the big rock feel before the sentimental ballad All Of My Love gives fans something to wave their lighters to. Rainbow Eyes lifts the tempo a little, but the rocker Push On Me puts the album back in overdrive. Wasted Time is a strong ballad, albeit a rocking one. Another highlight is the mid-tempo Once Bitten, Twice Shy, which is a nice change in the album's general formula. The bonus track Still I Believe is one of the album highlights and I'm glad it was included. It is one of the more melodic and commercial tracks of the album. All I Want To Do is a nice poppy kind of way to close the album, but adding 6 minutes of silence at the end before a 30 second Bavarian chant blasts through the speakers is not a wise move in this age of iPods and MP3 files. Two small points to add. Firstly, I'm sure long time fans will wholeheartedly disagree, but I think the 70 minute playing time is, in this case, a little too long. And the band's guitar sound – the tone these guys use isn't for everyone, but I suspect the established fan base who are used to it will be buying this without hesitation.
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