The term “supergroup” is thrown around so much these, that it rarely raises any curiosity anymore. Outfits made up of ex-members of bands that maybe someone in your family once owned an EP of, or even bands with one star surrounded by a slew of second-rate players, will get the “supergroup” tag.
Alan Hewitt’s ensemble, however, is the real deal. Hewitt is the current keyboardist of The Moody Blues and also played on Warrant’s Cherry Pie album, as well as acting as producer of Earth, Wind & Fire’s Greatest Hits album. He’s joined by JV Collier (Bruce Hornsby And The Noisemakers), Sonny Emory (Steely Dan, the B-52’s), Jamie Glaser (guitars on Seinfeld, Saved By The Bell), Duffy King (six time Detroit music winner), as well as appearances from Australian sensation Orianthi and YouTube Artist of the Year Alex Boye.
The band makes a grand entrance with the spacey, dreamy “Devotion,” where warm guitar solos are met with a frantic pace that could soundtrack a police chase in a film. “The Last Ride” follows and takes us on a similar course, but with deep organs running between the guitar acrobatics. “Mystical” is where the pace slows down to a cozy, romantic territory with soothing acoustic guitars.
Vocals aren’t used often on the album, which is unfortunate as they make some of the best moments. “Revolution” with Alex Boye is a particular highlight; it’s a soulful and playful adventure, full of funk and rock fun. Other album standouts include the key heavy, prog-rock of “Utopia” and the heavier “Into The Eye,” both of which feature Orianthi. The grand fusion of rock, pop, and jazz on “Big Bang” late in the album is another high point, emitting an explosion of culture, sophistication, and talent.
While the quality of musicianship here is extremely high, and it’s refreshing to know this was made sans samples, looping, and other computer generated sounds, there is no denying that many of these songs have a sameness to them. Hopefully in the future, Hewitt will entertain the idea of more vocal work, as it adds greatly to the experience.
