I’m not sure I have experienced a hype like the one Creye had when they were about to release their self-titled debut album back in 2018 – at least not when it comes to a new and upcoming AOR band. They were all over social media with all the praise in the world – it was Creye this, Creye that and reviewers were throwing out eights, nines and even tens almost hailing them as the great new hope for the genre. And it wasn’t like the band had a famous member or two in the band helping create that hype. The closest thing to any celebrity was singer Robin Jidhed, the son of Alien singer Jim Jidhed – and he quit the band ten seconds after the album was released, so it wasn’t exactly Jon Bon Jovi’s son that was promoting his new band.
Did the album live up to those expectations then? Well, looking at some of the reviews, it sure did for some, but for me, nope. It was a good album but it was way too polished, glossy, silky and impersonal to my ears, it could have been any of the thirteen-a-dozen AOR-bands coming out of Scandinavia – and Sweden particularly – after 2010. But what it did, it showed potential and now that the guys – Andreas Gullstrand (lead Guitar), Fredrik Joakimsson (rhythm guitar), Joel Selsfors (keyboards), Gustaf Örsta (bass), Arvid Filipsson (drums) and new singer August Rauer – has been around for a while, touring together and honing the craft of song writing, maybe Creye will have taken that potential creating an identity for themselves. Being a bunch of really solid musicians, I actually expect this album to better the debut by every inch.
Creye opens the album with the latest single “Broken Highway”, a mid paced pop-song in an AOR disguise, very slick and silky on the laid-back side. There’s a really rhythmic bass-line which creates a swinging groove and while the over-all impression is that the tune is a bit sugary and smooth, it also holds a very memorable hook and the chorus is really hard not to get captured by. A really good song. Third single “Carry On” follows and it opens with a surprisingly crunchy Melodic Rock guitar riff taking the song into a more down-beat verse. The song do pick up the pace as it goes along, going for a more upbeat vibe. The chorus throws out hooks everywhere with a massive catchiness and the tune initially feels like a hit. It do come across as bit too standard Scandinavian sounding though. Still, a good tune.
“Find A Reason” opens with a riff that takes the tune closer to Classic Rock than AOR albeit with a slicker outlook. Again, the verses takes a more laid-back seat but when the chorus comes along, the tune gets more upbeat, something that’s very common when it comes to this genre. By the time the first verse hit, the Classic Rock of the opening riff has taken a hike and it didn’t take long for the tune to become a full-blown AOR number albeit with a chunky rhythm. Even though the tune might be a bit mainstream, the chorus sticks right off the bat. The second single “Siberia” comes on like pop-rocker in a time-machine from the 80’s, all dressed in synthesizers but also with a chunky guitar. But this is radio-pop, a close call to Eurovision Song Contest touches – glossy, slick and airplay flirtatious but the hooks are many, the catchiness is intense and the chorus is huge. I find myself digging it with a smile.
“Face To Face” was released as a single some seven months ago, as to say “hey, we’re back and ready to roll”. It’s a straight-forward, rhythmic AOR-rocker in uptempo that holds both a crunchy guitar and lots of keyboards in a fine symbiosis. The track blends some pure pop-verses with a rougher and more Hard Rock laden pre-chorus which culminates with a slick and very much traditional AOR chorus albeit with the edgy guitar intact – and it’s a damn catchy piece. Speaking of the ESC up above, “Can’t Stop What We Started” would be perfect for that contest. With clean yet upbeat pop verses on a straight-ahead pace and an almost danceable beat that goes into an immediate Pop meets AOR chorus with a whole bunch of “whoa whoa whoa” running amok and a main melody it sounds like a Max Martin involvement. It’s an ok tune but both too cheesy and sugary for comfort.
The ballad “Lost Without You” starts out sparse, soft and sombre but gets a tiny bit more upbeat along the way. Sure, it’s a hooky number with a chorus with added extra sugar that will stay in your head no matter you want to or not. But it’s very smooth, slick and fluffy and obviously aimed at mainstream radio rather than Rock dito. If the last track had traces of Max Martin, this one is full-blown boyband pop with a slice of AOR on top. It’s ok but it’s really too sweet for me. After a soft start “Hold Back The Night” continues in an upbeat mode. It’s a mid-paced AOR number that holds a meaty groove and a chunky guitar riff that catches on right away and a very in-your-face and catchy Melodic Rock refrain. This one’s great.
Upbeat and in a faster tempo, “Let The World Know” brings on a good, juicy drive mixing AOR, Pop and Rock, the three of them marries just fine. It’s short and concise with fine harmonies and a rockier outlook but it’s still quite tailored and as a whole it would have benefited with a fatter guitar sound and little less keyboards. The chorus is direct and effective but the song has a tendency to be over before it really began. “Closer” is an uptempo and hit-laden 80’s AOR number that’s carried by a stompy rhythm and a groovy bass-line. It’s quite a glossy piece that contains both smooth pop-melodies and a riff drawn towards classic Hard Rock. The tune dwells inside a colorful soundscape where the majestic chorus is king and is also bettered by a lush, astonishing guitar solo. Very good.
Starting out soft and sparse, “The Greatest” soon picks up the pace and brings on a stompy, upbeat groove, kicking away on a straight-forward note. There’s a meaty guitar squeezed in between layers of keyboards and the rhythmic beats. It’s a positive and uplifting tune, it’s short and right to the point and it holds a massive chorus with lots of hit-potential and hooks – and a striking, raunchy guitar solo as an extra spice. Very good. The album closes with the uptempo pop-rocker “War Of Love”, a quite slick number with Scandi-AOR sounding melodies both in verse and chorus. Full of synthesizers and vocals arrangements taken right from 1986, the guitars hold a back seat in this one. This is a pure AOR piece with an effective hook and another bang-on-target refrain. Very good.
Going back to my review of the debut, I wrote stuff like “the songs are great, 9/10 but the band lacks identity and it’s too safe”. Well, listening back to that record, I’m not sure what I heard back then – the songs are really good but they’re not 9/10 at all. I still hold on to the rest and for this album, those things still holds, I’m afraid – the lack of identity being the biggest issue. I guess this is the way Creye likes their music but the production is way too clean-cut, safe and glossy for me and even though I know this is AOR all the way, I still want some grit and edge to it – and big guitars! That being said, there are no bad songs here, a couple of fillers maybe, and the song-writing has actually improved which still makes this unimaginatively titled album an enjoyable listen. For AOR hardcores, this album is probably heaven so if that’s you, you need this in your collection.
6/10
More Creye reviews:
Tracklist:
1. Broken Highway
2. Carry On
3. Find A Reason
4. Siberia
5. Face To Face
6. Can’t Stop What We Started
7. Lost Without You
8. Hold Back The Night
9. Let The World Know
10. Closer
11. The Greatest
12. War Of Love
CD & Festival reviews 