They say in music time does not stand still music always moves on and after not that too long ago I was reviewing Juan Pablo Mazzola’s previous releases under Baby Scream a new 10 track album is soon to be released under a newly signed label OK Records.
Already taking pre-orders and includes a limited edition CD receiving my promotional copy and playing it I hear just that in this collection of tracks … growth.
Just pressing play and into the first track I hear that movement of music I was talking about in Juan’s music as unlike past releases this kicks off like some power rock album so different to his past acoustic starts.
‘Powerpop Crush’ really lives up to its title and warms you up for the ride your about to receive playing the album simply named ‘Baby Scream’. The track is raw, crunchy & powerful with those amazing vocals that so often get compared to Lennon or even Harrison from The Beatles.
The album cover gives you a simplistic image but ‘don’t be fool by the cover’ as often been said as nothing on this album is simplistic.
In my work in music I have an artist I work with named a chameleon mainly because he can play any music & adapts/changes to fit that genre like he belongs.
However Baby Scream is more like an artist working with the finest detailed water colours you can be listening to a track from this album and like two colours meeting on a water colour masterpiece the sounds merge and become something different.
This can very much be heard throughout the album take ‘Exile’ it starts sounding very much in The Beatle style musically then your over powered by this magic sound like two colours merging in it appears /sounds of Electric Light Orchestra in there hey days with spot on perfect harmonies but the vocals are so Baby Scream with that pure vocals of Juan from previous albums making the sound all his.
The track of the album for me appears early on which is track three and is in fact the first I heard from this album via Oli K of OK! Records the track is entitled ‘Jekyll & Hyde’. Not just because I love the story by Robert Louis Stevenson and the many movies of the same name. I found listening to this track the music does in fact have this Jekyll & Hyde appearance in it’s mid change like the music as well as Juan become all characters within the song playing it out from start to fade truly an amazing track.
‘Mental Case’ Juan’s voice has that more rough crazy Jack Nicholson edge to it but more times you play it you get to notice his in fact playing/singing in character again. The music itself has this guitar almost stomp/march feel to it that really goes with the theme of the lyrics and lunacy with a really wonderful guitar solo.
‘The Ghost Of Valerie’ featuring the amazing Eric Dover (Alice Cooper) the guitar work on this is amazing, haunting even which is fitting considering the title. Juan’s vocals are just like the pure Juan’s voice I got hooked on way back in the 2008 ‘Ups & Down’ release. Like all the tracks self penned by Juan these lyrics are amazing, A dark topic which most are on this album it really gives you things to think about.
‘Watching The End Of The World (On TV)’ another dark topic and like what I talked on at the start this music changes and changes again throughout with music merging together so has so many directions that really works well and rocks. The lyrics remind me of a child kids hiding from the scary TV shows of the 70s. Also thou reminds me of the crazy and dangerous world we live in.
‘Nipone’ has a wonderful oriental feel, sound and is a lovely ballad with beautiful acoustic guitar work. It features also some amazing wind instruments that add to the theme. The vocals are again more the pure Juan blending into a Lennon ‘Beautiful Boy’ which is always wonderful to hear.
‘Lazy’ reminds me of some old 70s hotel bar in music in it’s opening till that is WHAM!!! In comes this amazing drum & guitar THUMP!! And the song really kicks off. I just love the lyrics sums up so many people I know ‘You say that I’m lazy, you say that I’m crazy’ yes that’s all my friends summed up in one line myself included if I’m honest. This has to be my 2nd favorite of the album
‘What About You’ starts with some amazing rock rift sounding like some classic rock album, it really got my attention, maybe because I had it on LOUD but hey! It is amazing.
Then in comes Juan on vocals again having a rawer, rough edge to it showing how much added extra he can always add and surprise you in each song. As Juan has a hidden power in his vocals in the past his very much locked away till now.
The album comes to an end with the beautiful track oddly named ‘Twenty Seven’ which returns Juan to his early days of amazing acoustic work pure guitar sound pure vocals it just doesn’t get any better in sound than this which is an apt way to end an album.
As for the entire album BABY SCREAM it is a wonder to own an amazing colourful collection of songs that go through darkness to light in themes and sounds.
Making the mix from the album I really got to love the album even more as all the tracks all stand on their own as amazing pieces of work.
As for BABY SCREAM the artist Juan Pablo Mazzola shows again how you can never put him in one box as his music like the tide moves and changes direction always surprising you when you feel you know him well he gives you something new. Juan seems to know how to pick a theme to a song not only write/compose about it but become it so it is like owning a collection of mini plays and all acted/performed with true honesty.
www.babyscream.com
www.youtube.com/babyscream
www.myspace.com/babyscream
