Harem Scarem: Change The World (2020)

 

When I think of Harem Scarem I think of Hook City meaning these guys know the fine art of crafting ‘Hooky’ catchy rock that grabs you by the ear and won’t let go.

You gotta hand it to Harry Hess/Pete Lesperance/Darren Smith/Mike Vassos/Creighton Doane as they get down and do just what they do.

The thing I like about Harem is they put out quality records every couple of years. Tour a bit then they go right off the grid and then as time passes here comes another finely crafted bunch of tunes written by Hess and Lesperance.

If you are keeping score than Change of the World is album number 15 from Harem which is mighty impressive considering the debut came out in 1991.

 Change The World features 11  songs and I can tell you there is not a dud among the bunch!

Change The World
Aftershock
Searching For Meaning
The Death Of Me
Mother Of Invention
No Man’s Land
In The Unknown
Riot In My Head
No Me Without You
Fire & Gasoline
Swallowed By The Machine

These guys know there deal and its crafting rock at a high level. For those not sure or for that matter have not heard these guys below I posted the video of Death of Me. Check it out and crank it up!

Death of Me is a great track.  What a catchy chorus and a brilliant solo by Lesperance.  Why people have not heard of this guy on guitar for the past 30 years is beyond me. The man is easily one of the best most creative dudes come solo time to do his thing. Pete is not a hot dogger doing all that bullshit stuff on the guitar. Pete keeps the solo’s in the context of the song.

Harem has there own sound and style. Big time gang vocals always dominate the choruses and no wonder as drummer Darren Smith is a lead vocalist in his own right and if you recall handled the lead vocals fo the Red Dragon Cartel record Patina from a few years back.

Even the slower tracks like Mother of Invention and No Me Without You have some kick in them even though they are keyboard-driven yet they don’t puss out.

But for listeners like me, it’s all about the rock tracks and I can honestly tell you the first 4 songs set the table nicely for what follows.

I have to add that I like that the album clocks in under 45 minutes and no song is over four and a half minutes long. Talk about keeping our attention and not drifting elsewhere.

Harem Scarem 2020 is alive and well and still delivering the goods on Change The World.

Check this one out Folk’s as you will not be disappointed.