Review by Paul Sabin for MPM
If you’ve never heard of Sweet, then you must have been living on Mars for the last five decades as with more than 55 million records sold and 34 number one spots, these guys have been part of the soundtrack of many of our lives.
However, as time waits for no man, founding member, Andy Scott wants to go out on a high and has decided that this album will be Sweet’s last.
The tracks found on ` full Circle’ started life pre-pandemic and were then put on the back burner to allow the retrospective revisit of their hits founds on `Isolation Boulevard’ to be released first.
So, first track `Circus’ is a commentary of the crazy world we live in and contains a chugging guitar/synth rhythm, a catchy hook line and a gritty vocal from Paul Manzi. `Don’t Bring Me Water’ has a far more modern, sophisticated edge a synth lay down the foundations ahead of a punch lead guitar riff. Manzi’s vocal morphs from smooth to ballsy warmth when the chorus arrives.
`Burning Like A Falling Star’ chugs slowly along as guitars weave around the synth tones and Messrs Manzi and Scott harmonise their vocals brilliantly on this commercial sounding earworm. `Changes’ continues in a similar vein but with a more modern drumbeat and vocal melodies popping out all over the place. This has a distinctly eighties feel that is punctuated by some great lead guitar lines.
`Defender’ ticks all the boxes for a superb rock ballad as gentler vocals are passionately delivered with melodic choruses and harmonies amongst soaring guitars and synth pads. `Everything’ kicks off with haunting guitar parts which move into some sweet clean lines that give way to an epic delivery once more by Manzi. This is a beast of a track that oozes class from every pore.
We get back to a more straight ahead, heads down rocker in the form of `Destination Hannover’ as punchy riffs are laid down with no messing. `Rising Up’ sees guitars and synths join forces once more to provide a complex soundscape for Manzi’s honey tinged gravely vocal to soar over. Once more a stellar hook line leaps out here.
`Rising Up’ is a much lighter affair as we fly through space accompanied by chorused guitars and out of this world vocals. Lastly, we come to the title track with its locomotive like rhythm, acoustic guitar that gives way to an immense chorus. This lyrically superb track is the fine way to end an era of glam rock greatness.
Every track found here bares the hallmarks of Sweet – harmonies, guitars, synths and slick vocals and not a single bad track to be found. Andy Scott and the current lineup have an album to be proud of.
MORE INFO:
www.thesweet.com
www.metalville.de
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