Taste – ‘Taste’

I may not be (quite) old enough to remember them the first time around, but the names Skid Row and Taste hold a seminal place in Irish music-lore: the former as the ultimate forerunner of the mighty Thin Lizzy, and the latter as the trio who propelled the late, great Rory Gallagher into the position of being this beautiful little island’s first international rock star.

The name Skid Row, of course, was subsequently adopted by a Californian-based Canadian-fronted sleaze rock combo who went on to produce some fairly exciting examples of the genre.

Now, the Taste monicker has been stolen by this, quite frankly, abysmal Swedish AOR abomination, centred around brothers Christoffer and Felix Borg – who are more Hanson than the Star Trek baddies, although they do manage to assimilate almost every genre reference, from parping keyboards to wannabe sweeping melodies and choruses…

The problem is that it is all too antiseptic and stale, and while it may well appeal to fans of English AOR acts such as Strangeways, Ten or even FM, it fails to light even the smallest spark in my waving lighter.

[2/10]

Tracklisting:
1. Back To The Future
2. Our Dreams
3. Cry For Love
4. Don’t Give Up
5. Stay
6. My Rose
7. Danger Games
8. Doesn’t Feel Like Love
9. In My Arms (Tonight)
10. The One
11. Fallen Angel

‘Taste’ is released on AOR Heaven on January 18th.