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Tracklist
1. Light Always
Seems Brighter In The Dark
2. Time Keeps
Running
3. Far From You
4. Never Look
Back
5. Forgive Me
6. Endless Nights
7.
On My Way Back Home
8. When Friendship Turns To
Love
9. Flowers Of Pain
10. If You Don’t
Need Me Anymore
11. Jealousy
12.
Voices
13. The Best
14. Anywhere
Line-up
Ben Venet (lv, bv,
lg)
Bruno Levesque (g, k, b, bv)
Review added
October 11,
2008
 Back
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Silence’s path is not strewn with
roses. After Brennus Music, MTM Music and Vinny Records,
it’s now the turn of US label Kivel Records to release
an album from this sympathetic French
jack-of-all-trades, but again he has no luck. On Kivel
Records’ website there’s hardly any information to be
found about Silence and although John Kivel promised to
send us a review copy of “Open Road”, he didn’t keep his
promise (why didn’t this surprise me?). Getting tired of
waiting, it was Levesque himself who sent us a full copy
of his fifth album - which has been released last April
- for review. “Open Road” is the follow-up of the
highly-praised “Nostalgia”, which was released at the
end of 2004. This time around Bruno Levesque is no
longer assisted by vocalist Jerome Cazard, but by a
Belgian vocalist by the name of Ben Venet. Although I’m
a Belgian (Fleming!) myself, I have to admit that I’ve
never heard of this artist or his band – Jayhawkers –
before. In the past I called Jerome Cazard a revelation,
but Ben Venet is in no way inferior to him. Not only did
he co-write all the songs on offer, he performs them
with an ease as if he’s Mr Jon Bon Jovi himself. Bon
Jovi is indeed the first band that I can think of when
listening to “Open Road”. With 14 tracks and over 67
minutes of music, you get a wealth of melodic hard rock
songs to add to your collection. Highlights include the
Bon Jovi-ish semi-ballads “Far From You” and “Forgive
Me”, the mid-tempo songs “On My Way Back Home” (great
keys and chorus) and “Flowers Of Pain” (a duet with
Valérie Paul) and – last but not least – the
longest/final track “Anywhere”, introducing Aurélie
Nogue and featuring no less than 9 guitarists! Which
label will come next for him? Escape Music? Frontiers
Records? Let’s wait a couple of years and see what
happens next. (  CL)
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Jez
I quite liked the 2 previous albums
without going ga ga over them, but 'Open Road' is
so much better in all areas. The vocals are much
stronger and less accented, the songs are really
strong, the sound and production is a vast
improvement and I really like the acoustic base of
most of the songs. My only criticism, if I have to
find one, is that it maybe 2 or 3 songs to long
(same problem as the last album) and it does get a
little samey in places. Oh yes! and ditch the
cover of 'The Best' which was a rubbish song to
begin with. Highlights include 'Light Always Seems
Brighter..', 'Never Look Back' and the never
ending guitar fest that is 'Anywhere' that ends
the album. Yes, this song is way too long, but it
is good fun all the same and has a great poppy
melody especially at the beginning, which remained
stuck in my head for about a week afterwards. An
excellent album overall and highly recommended
from me. |
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