Review Summary: Rock in my Dance music!?
It’s 2010 and dance music has a new home in the hearts of many Americans thanks to the likes of Lady GaGa, Rihanna, and Justin Timberlake. However their sound isn’t that far off from the R&B/Hip Hop that dominated the airwaves for most of the last decade. They fused it with dance which is a smart move since it gives something familiar and slightly different to people. One band took the opposite turn, instead of R&B they choose rock, considered by some is an unholy union. However Walter Meego creates an aggressive and solid debut that shows sometimes taking a risk pays off.
Upon intuition listening one might dismiss this as just “another dance album” but after a few listens one will notice the addition of the strong rock elements present in the space pop sound. “Letting Go” is a prime example of this which features a fast pace guitar solo near the end. Justin’s voice has a bland quality to it, but it works well to fit the nature of the song like “More than I Can Say” in which he profess that love is his inspiration. The upbeat nature of the record takes a darker vibe in the middle of the record. With “Keyhole” Justin sings almost to the point of tears as Colin plays a dreamy syth beat throughout the song. Andrew seems to bit the “secret weapon” in the group because whenever a guitar solo pops into a song he doesn’t hold back.
While the music shines through the repetitive lyrics weigh the record which tracks like “Girls” and “Baby Please”. The guys seem content with working out a song through a verse and chorus then repeating it over and over instead of fleshing things out a bit more to create something more cohesive. The kinetic pace of the album grinds to a halt with the closing tracks “Your Love” and “In My Dreams”. Both tracks feature a mellow space like sound that seems out of place against the rest of the record. Had they been left these tracks off, Voyager would be a more complete piece and a stronger debut, but as it stands it’ll due.
Walter Meego show promise in their combination of dance and rock, their musical effects are strong by changing things up a bit in each song. The band might to dive deeper into their love of space to help set them apart from others. The lyrics need a bit of work but Justin’s commitment to sing them helps one tolerant the repetitiveness. Their subject matter of girls, joy, and pain make them relatable, but this works for countless other bands and singers. Let’s hope they make that big leap forward for themselves and dance music with their follow up record.
Recommended Tracks:
Wanna Be A Star
More Than I Can Say
Keyhole
Letting Go
