FLAW
"Revival" (Cleopatra; 2022)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
Regular readers will remember I've been kind of hard on cover albums recently. The few I've listened to have been flat, somewhat uninspired and lack the magic that made the original tracks so memorable.
Flaw's "Revival" is yet another covers album. Thankfully, it takes things up a notch.
You'll know all of the songs covered here on "Revival," (with the possible exception of "7 Years," originally by Lukas Graham ... well, I didn't know that song). There's the likes of "Alive and Kicking" (Simple Minds), "In Your Eyes" (Peter Gabriel), "Eyes Without a Face" (Billy Idol), "Every Step You Take" (The Police" and "Still of the Night" (Whitesnake). And some others. And you'll recognize them all as you listen to Flaw's version. I've said elsewhere that the thing about making a good cover tune is that you make the song your own but pay respect to the original. Flaw does that perfectly on "Revival."
For the most part, Flaw heavies up the songs on this album. For the most part, these are hard rock/heavy metal versions of these tunes. It works for all of them here, with Flaw taking the songs and putting their mark on them while, at the same time, making sure you recognize the original. In other words, the songs are different enough that they stand apart from the originals but similar enough that you still feel the original in there. They even pump up Whitesnake's "Still of the Night" which, honestly, needed little pumping (Flaw's version still rocks).
My favorite tracks were "Every Breath You Take" (which, for my money, is better than the original ... I'm not much of a Police fan) and the jamming guitars of "Eyes Without a Face," which lacks some of the Billy Idol dynamics but rocks with a different vibe.
Overall, "Revival" is one of the better covers albums I've heard in awhile. There's been a trend for these kind of albums and, sadly, most of them have met with somewhat divided results. "Revival" does what a covers album should do ... which we've already discussed ad nauseum above.
For more information, check out http://www.flaw.com.
"Endangered
Species" (Republic; 2004)
Reviewed by Snidermann
Good rock'n'roll should be encouraged at all levels, even if it's not your cup of tea. Such is the case with Flaw and their "Endangered Species." I may not like everything about "Endangered Species" but nonetheless, Flaw is worth mentioning.
On "Endangered Species," Flaw does things that are great and some things that are less than stellar. The good: righteous rock'n'roll music that moves fast and flows hard and straight to the point. When the band is rocking hard, the vocals here are at their best.
The bad: There are too many slow and mushy radio ballads here that bring the entire project down. When Flaw rocks hard, they are unbeatable, when they slow down, it puts me right to sleep. If Flaw had dropped some of the slow shit and kept the intensity up, "Endangered Species" would be a much better record.
Flaw: Lance Arny - guitar; Ryan Jurhs - bass; Chris Volz - vocals; Michah Harvertape - drums.
For more information, check out http://www.flaw.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2022 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.
