The first time I heard the title track, Welcome To The Boomtown, I was hooked. I still know the lyric by heart, so that must mean something. The use of strings and guitars, and that inspired lyric about miss Christina and handsome Kevin, sung so well, still does the trick. And it´s not the only lyric with a meaning. All songs have stories to tell and are easy to relate to.
But that is not all. Though in retrospect, sound wise firmly rooted in the 80’s (because of all the keyboards), the album withstood the tests of time rather easy in my humble opinion. The production is flawless and still attractive to hear.
Track Ain´t So Easy still is an instant favourite, Being Alone Together is a hypnotizing affair, as is A Rock For the Forgotten with it´s clever combination of vocal melodies, synths and guitar riffs. River´s Gonna Rise slows the tempo down, but the moment the singing start you just have to listen and will be glued to your chair. In the chorus the guitars take over, but keep supporting the vocals. David Baerwald again proves his voice has a strong lower register. The guitar solo, though limited in a technical sense, has such a great feel that it hits home on intention alone.
Almost all instruments are played by the David’s (Baerwald and Ricketts) and the album is produced by Davitt Sigerson. I lost track of Ricketts after this, but Baerwald released a couple of albums that are also very interesting, though of a more experimental nature. But worth checking out if you are able to find them.
