The Romeo Flynns have pulled out all the stops with their debut release, a concept album of sorts dedicated to musing over the universal but tired question: why did you leave me? The CD is surrounded by professional looking art, models without pants, and sleek packaging. They got thick riffs, a good dose of harmony, a dash of sax, and a knack for melody that mostly turns this "woe is me" record into a party.
The Romeo Flynns state (warn us?) right up front with the diner dialogue in track 1 that we will be flies on the wall listening to this guy come to grips with losing his gal. This kind of stuff is OK for a few tunes, but a whole record dedicated to this soap opera? It certainly has its moments, but many listeners are going to find the songs tedious, with their redundant themes and one too many choruses wearing out their welcome. At times, you’ll wish you could just reach out, slap the guy, and yell, “Get over it, dude!"
There are some noteworthy elements about this band, the first being their winning ability to make modern pop rock that wonderfully emulates 50s and 60s music without sounding like they are ripping it off (check out "Gonna Feel Alright"). Some parts of the tunes are bursting with musical instincts as sharp as The Dave Clark Five, The Knack, or The Romantics. The interlacing themes between the songs, as well as the dramatic flair the orchestration brings, reminded me of classic Meatloaf. But at the end of the day, about half the songs could not hold my attention (some of which demand nearly 5 minutes worth) and the vocals grate on me when he reaches for the higher register, which he does way too often. Songs like "A Better Man Than Me" are heartbreaking...great songwriting, played to perfection, but the vocals kill it for me. The sappy and slow "Every Time We Part" and "Something About Her" stick out as the two sore thumbs and are out of character with the other tunes.
“Pictures of You” is one of those musical sandwiches, with the meat in the middle. Standout tracks include the punchy "Wasting My Heart", which is followed by the equally peppy "Just Fade Away." I also enjoyed "Won't Pass This Way Again", which reminds me of the 70s pop gem "Seasons In The Sun" by Terry Jacks. The Romeos also pull off an electrifying cover of "Better Things" originally done by The Kinks in 1981. It is a healthy way to end the record.
Recording this record was probably very therapeutic for the writer, but did it win back the girl? My guess is no…but I trust they will win some fans.
iPOD-worthy: 8, 9, 10, 12
The Romeo Flynns on MySpace. Official site.
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