FIND ME- Angels In Blue – REVIEW

My first must listen album of 2019 is ANGELS IN BLUE from FIND ME, the collaboration by the majestic vocalist ROBBIE LaBLANC (BLANC FACES) and multi talented songwriter, producer and musician DANIEL FLORES, released through Frontiers Records.

FIND ME’s brilliant debut album ‘WINGS OF LOVE’ and the sublime follow up ‘DARK ANGEL’ are two of my favourite and most played Melodic Rock albums of the past 10 years, so i was a tad bit excited to review the latest offering ANGELS IN BLUE.

The album gets off to cracking start with the upbeat melodic gem, ‘No Tears in Paradise’, which was showcased live back in October 2018 at the ROCKINGHAM FESTIVAL, as FIND ME delivered a truly magical performance to a packed crowd, and were my band of the weekend. ‘Chain of Love’ is very reminicent of early GIANT and UNRULY CHILD with its brilliant hooks & chorus, which leads us into my favourite track from ANGELS IN BLUE, the truly excellent ‘True Believer’ which could have featured on the SURVIVOR classic TOO HOT TOO SLEEP. ‘Straight For Eternity’ with its heavy keyboards, courtesy of SOREN KRONQUIST, and the catchy ‘Cant Let Go’ with its WORKFORCE type melodies and featuring MICHAEL PALACE on guitar, are real winners. We are then treated to the mesmerising ballad ‘One Last Kiss’, which would have been an MTV favourite back in 1988. Its just track after track of AOR heaven, with ‘Living A Lie’ bringing us to the title track ‘Angels in Blue’ showcasing great Guitar work from PHILIP LINDSTRAND, and the rhythm section of JOHNNY TROBRO and DANIEL FLORES.

The Journey-esque ‘Show Me What You’d Die For’ and  ‘Waiting For A Lifetime’, which harks back to that classic SIGNAL album just oozes class, and another favourite of mine, the ‘You Are The Only One’. With the next track, a cover of SURVIVOR’S ‘Desperate Dreams’, which features in my top 5 songs of all time, you just cannot go wrong, as ROBBIE LaBLANC smashes the tune, and really does this masterpiece, and the sadly missed JIMI JAMISON justice. Final track ‘Only The Lonely’ with its CHINA SKY type intro and great harmonies and hooks, brings this stunning album to a close.

For me FIND ME have released an absolute killer of an album in ANGELS IN BLUE, with its amazing vocals, songwriting and muscianship, and messers LaBLANC and FLORES, and their brilliant backing band, should be very proud.

Tracklisting:

•       No Tears In Paradise
•       Chain Of Love
•       True Believer
•       Straight For Eternity
•       Can’t Let Go
•       One Last Kiss
•       Living A Lie
•       Angels In Blue
•       Show Me What You’d Die For
•   Waiting For A Lifetime
•   You Are The Only One
•   Desperate Dreams
•   Only The Lonely

Lineup:

Robert Lablanc – Lead vocals and backing vocals

Daniel Flores – Drums, percussion and additional keyboards

Sören Kronquist – Keyboards

Philip Lindstrand – Rhythm guitars

Johnny Trobro – Bass

Michael Palace – Lead guitars and rhythm guitars on “Can’t Let Go” and “Only The Lonely”

Marcus Nygren (State of Salazar) – Backing vocals on Straight For Eternity

Joan Thuresson (State of Salazar) – Guitar solo on Straight For Eternity