WORLD PLAY
After a number of incarnations, and a few false starts, SOUL SIRKUS has finally released a debut disc.
World Play is a real treat for anyone who misses hooky melodic rock. Let's face it, there just isn't much of it in the U.S. these days, and what little of it that does exist is catering to an aging and dwindling fan base. Internationally, the stuff still sells, but we're too busy paying attention to
ASHLEE SIMPSON getting booed offstage at the Orange Bowl to focus on anyone with real talent in the States.
What started out as
PLANET US, a 'supergroup' which featured Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Neal Schon, and Deen Castronovo, ultimately developed into the Soul SirkUS lineup, which includes Schon, Castronovo, singer Jeff Scott Soto, and bassist Marco Mendoza (
Castonovo has since left the band to be with his family, replacing him is STEVE VAI/PLANET X drummer Virgil Donati).
The songs on
World Play sound like a hybrid of JOURNEY and HARDLINE, Schon's 1992 project with the Gioelli brothers. The most obvious example of Schon's riff-writing and guitar chops is the lead track, "Highest Ground", which has a big, multi-layered chorus showcasing Soto's tremendous vocal range. Another notable track is "Coming Home", which is as close to a Journey Song as you can get without actually bringing Steve Perry into the band to sing the track.
Whether or not Soul SirkUS will sustain itself as a band for more than one release remains to be seen, because the longevity of these projects seems to fade fairly quickly; the audience, at least stateside isn't there. Also, I don't think this band can depend on radio airplay, other than maybe a few spins on classic rock stations or perhaps some spins on a satellite radio playlist. The draw to this group will be the embedded following that the main artists carry with them (meaning you'll probably see a lot of JOURNEY fans at a Soul SirkUS show).
I like
World Play though; I think it's a nice treat to hear some fresh hooky rock rather than the latest, plastic, bubble-gum, pop creation the imploding music business has to offer.
