Stephen
Australian's AOR machine, White Widdow (the double D was intended), quickly gained popularity through this album because of the slick catchy composition that vividly captured the 80s decade vibe and driven by a massive chorus and sweetened with a splendid keyboard. However, some criticism arose when some saw them live as Jules Millis' vocal was told that it's not as high and good as on the record.
Some songs here clearly remind me of classic Bon Jovi and also to their AOR peer, Houston, with another one that comes in mind is the lethal duo of Marcello/Vestry. The latter is maybe heavier but what make them come together are the marvelous melodies. 'Tokyo Rain' is like it was written by Jon Bon Jovi, great start! 'Broken Hearts Won't Last Forever' is even better and 'We've Got The Wings' is the best track here. The only tracks I dislike or less-favorable here are 'Spirit of Fire' and 'Shadows of Love', but the rest are pleasantly beautiful.
'Cross To Bare', 'One More Day', and 'Change of Passion' are highlights on the second half. All of them are uptempo tunes with nice guitar riffs. I can also see why some people dislike the band, some call it too fluffy, too sugary maybe, and the vocal lacks of passion, but I don't have an issue with them at all. In fact, I think they've done a good job despite the fact that it's an album short of originality. 80% for a well-executed AOR debut and the follow up, ‘Serenade’, which came out in 2011, brings their game to a higher level.