ROMEO'S DAUGHTER: "Rapture"

Rating: 8/10

Label: RD Records 2012

Review by Alan Holloway

After FM came back on the scene, many fingers were crossed that Romeo’s Daughter might join them at some point, what with the bands being linked in the past by both marriage and tours. Although their revival has been slower and less high profile (by AOR standards), Romeo’s Daughter are finally ready to unveil what is only their third album, following on from 1993’s “Delectable”, now available again on Rock Candy records.

“Rapture” is certainly a confident album, starting out with a catchy, crunchy (for RD anyway) rocker, “Trippin’ Out”, sending out the same message as “Heaven In The Backseat” did on their debut. As with that album, this isn’t a guitar fest by any means, and there are a fair few emotional, laid back tracks. Romeo’s Daughter have stayed true to their original image and are a rock band that you’d have difficulty headbanging to. Guitar solos, when they come, are short and sweet, and keyboards are ever present.

What keeps “Rapture” from being a snooze fest is the simple fact that all of the songs are well crafted and catchy. “Bittersweet” may be verging on country music, but that doesn’t stop me from warbling along to the chorus each time it pops up. The other thing that perks up every song is, unsurprisingly, Leigh Mattey’s vocals. It may be 18 years since she’s delivered the goods, but she sounds exactly the same, like someone pouring honey laced with sugar cubes onto an Oompa Loompa.

So what you have here is an album that should certainly appeal to fans of the band’s debut, but may not be to the tastes of people who just like pure pop rock AOR goodness. Romeo’s Daughter are rock-lite, that’s for sure, but “Rapture” is a great album full of catchy, guitar based tracks that once again show a band that were cruelly robbed of wider appreciation.


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