ALL OVER YOU
When I saw the cover art for
All Over You, I have to admit I was expecting some kind of rehashed 80’s style group straining to still stand on their own feet in today’s world. BEN JACKSON GROUP's songs are catchy as hell and show some fine musicianship. The cheesiness that I was anticipating based on the cover art didn’t seem to exist. Ben Jackson knows how to write a solid song, and there are some very catchy hooks, well placed guitar fills, and the female backing harmonies in the vocals accent the songs very well.
I had never heard of these guys before now, and maybe I’ve been living under a rock but I’m glad I had the chance to hear them, I was pleasantly surprised. There is an evident 80’s vibe on some of the songs, but overall this CD has a very modern sound with just a hint of vintage swirled in. The modern power ballad “All Over You” is a good example of this. “Mean Machine” and “Eyes of Ice” are two of my favorites on here so far, but the album is growing on me more and more as I listen to it. I also think the opening riff to “Far and Away” is pretty reminiscent of VAN HALEN. Overall this album has some balls and I’m sure most would agree that it’s also kind of mainstream friendly, meaning these guys could possibly get picked up by more popular radio and TV networks if they get promoted right.
