I didn't really want to be the first one with my review because I'm sure there are some people out there that like Swing Out Sister and this album. I regret to say I'm not one of them; sorry, Anteater.
But it is what it is so here goes...
Swing Out Sister- Somewhere In the Night (2001)
Best Tracks: Somewhere Deep in the Night, Where Do I Go
Weakest Tracks: Alpine Crossing, The Vital Thing, Now Listen To Me
I think I said somewhere (a Carpenters thread I think) where I said I wasn’t much of an MOR person.
And this album screams MOR to me. If it was earlier Swing Out Sister, I might have thought to at least give them a Meh rating, maybe even a like, but this album, I’m sorry to say, bores me. I listen to Alpine Crossing for example, and it sounds like something out some lounge act from the sixties, maybe something of a Brasil 66 vibe. Anyway, I wasn’t really all that impressed. Non E Vero Ma Ci Credo is another one I found especially blah. It’s like they thought they were clever by doing an instrumental in Italian. I will say I liked Where Do I Go at least. I’m assuming that was a single taken from the album?
I guess my biggest criticism is that Swing Out Sister doesn’t seem to be especially adventurous. I’d give points if they were trying to go out of their comfort zone, but maybe they were too afraid of alienating their fan base, which they certainly have. Of course I don’t expect them to suddenly go metal, but maybe they could go a little more folk or country for example while not losing their basic style.
So as a band in their genre, I’m sure this album would fare better, but for me, I have to rate it as something of a disappointment, sorry.
3/10 (the Word has spoken
)