ROULETTE LIFELINE Escape Music ESM 064 Produced by: Not Listed Released: OUT / Website Relatives: White Sister, Innocent, Intruder GENRE: AOR

OVERALL: 60%

No Telling Lies She Gets What She Wants Victim Of Illusion Party Dress Call Me Def Dumb & Blonde Lost And Found Hanging Life Line One More Chance	I am not sure when this was recorded, but to these ears, this sounds like it was recorded in 1983! The guys are from Canada and fit nicely into the cult AOR sound that was of it's time in 1983 - swift keyboards, hollow sounding vocals and a then commercially friendly FM rock radio melodies. The production is Ok, but as I said if this is a recently written and recorded album, the sound is very classic early 80's. The only point to make with Roulette is that their song style varies over the first half of the album. They switch between keyboard AOR to a tougher party rock type attitude that doesn't suit them as well. In an unusual event, the last half of the album is stronger than the first half. It's where the band have a run of tracks in the same style - the keyboard friendly pop rock they are best suited for.
Much like fellow Escape Music artists Intruder. But unfortunately with a weaker production. The album opens in promising fashion with the big pomp rocker No Telling Lies, containing all the obligatory 80's AOR requirements - synthesized vocals, multi-layers of keyboards and guitars playing a moody commercially friendly pulse. There is no time to get familiar with that sound before the second track changes things into a slow tempo'd harder edge cock-rock friendly rock anthem. Victim Of Illusion is much better, it's another snappy keyboard dominated 80's AOR standard with a better chorus hook. Party Dress is another try hard rock track, with no real hook to suck you in. Call Me is again better, although it's another style again! This time we get a bluesy ballad in the style of Richie Sambora's debut album. It's an enjoyable ballad. Def Dumb & Blonde is pretty much that, the guys are in party rock mode, with the tempo again at mid pace. Lost And Found, Hanging & Life Line are all much better quality pop rock, with plenty of keyboards and uptempo hooks to suck you in. BOTTOM LINE: An album that suits the style of many of Escape's roster of band's and a group that have a classic keyboard friendly 80's sound. But they are let down by an average production and an album where the song style and quality varies a little too much.
PRODUCTION: 50%	SONGS: 68%	VIBE: 60%	ATTITUDE: 58%
ESSENTIAL FOR: Fans of keyboard driven early 80's style AOR.