WORLD5 “III” 2024 (Spectra Music Group) Review by Manuel Campos Ruíz / Viriaor

 

The information that accompanies this 3rd WORLD5 album, with a perfectly calligraphic logo, is as concise and simple as it is interesting and illustrative at the same time. Founding members Raimund Breitfeld Sailon (drums) and Steffen Goeres (guitars), along with Joe Gavito (guitars, keyboards, vocals and production) and the additions of Jimmy Olsson (bass) and Lou Evans (lead vocals), complete this new line up of a band with musicians distanced and dispersed around the globe. In fact, the cover represents that distant group reality and that World adequately, that musical and virtually physical union of 5 musicians in front of the immensity of our beautiful Planet.

 

Their previous albums were “Global experience” (2012) and “Heartbeat of the world” (2016). On May 10, Spectra Music Group will publish this album titled “III” that begins deliciously with “I get it”, the tambourine protagonist, in a whisper sung with delicacy and melodious vocalizations, gains ground and consolidates itself in musical greatness, this extremely sharp singer. Tommy Shaw level packed with sonic soul. Beautiful with the relevant acoustic and electric guitars, a wonderful duet shared with Jonna Sailon enters the scene with the re-recorded of their debut “You and I” together with the angelic and imposing fine voice of Lou Evans. It is Pop Rock with an octane Soul “Just another night”, the quality of Mike & the Mechanics prevails and you dismantle the ease of the Paul Carrack feeling, a shy and slow saxophone that is peaceful until you savor the blissful rhythmic tranquility of a jazzy exercise of well-deserved success commercial. These songs like “Cry for the Children” could be part of the list of wonderful compositions tempered by Richard Marx and Clif Magness or included in the enormous albums by Chicago, Michael Thompson Band, Generation Radio or Soleil Moon.

 

It contours and entangles in elements of international, commercial, exquisite, flamenco and deep turn like “Bellacita”, the bits of Latin Rock filter in guitars and tasty percussion calculated between the Maná accentuating his personality and the luxurious Santana more Pop. That line with warbles drawn by Soul and mixing Blues guitar with pop velvet continue to lean towards Latin American and Soft Rock in “Be you”. Lou Evans has religion in his racial expression like Glenn Hughes at low volume and without exaggeration, we pray for the human essence in “That Kind of guy” and it reminds me of female voices at Christmas, with precision sewing and raised hands like Jaime Kyle , Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Celine Dion or Lady Gaga. My things….

The electroacoustics dominate the panorama of WORLD5 and provide them with personality and quality, the rhythm section gives them therapy and the solo voice hovers over the “everything” exposed. As an example, the happy “That’s how she plays the game”. The general and simple proposal of melodies that are difficult to interpret is charming, they recreate brilliant sound elements of Eagles, Poco, Steely Dan, 10cc or Hall & Oates. “A moment in time” reminds me of RTZ by Brad Delp (RIP) and the adult Country Rock guitars are uplifting. “My life, my soul (Tamaras song)” has a 100% solo and instrumental intro and development. Another delicacy and demonstration of tasty musicality, a delicacy that arrives in 5 minutes to break the temporal rule of Pop and add virtuous contrast. They end with a loquacious dialogue between strings, percussion and relaxed vocals in “You are my why.” He can DJ like Peter Cetera, caress like Antonio Vega, breathe deeply like Richard Marx, smell like hot coffee like Paul Carrack, proudly display Jason Scheff’s last name or place front-line vocalists like Larry King, Billy Trudel, Glen Burtnik, Brett Walker, Lars Säfsund and on their website they mention Bobby Kimball, Jason Mraz and Brandon Boyle. You will love the sincere accentuations seeking to know the “why” to decipher it with human and musical tenderness. There is nothing more to say or add praise about the refined and immense songs of this magnificent “III” by WORLD5.

I love how they call this pleasant album…”Pop Rock with a global influence”, and they also stylistically describe each song specifying and differentiating them between…”Pop Rock”, “Soft Rock”, “Ballad” or “Adult Contemporary”. This fact, which facilitates and guides the orientation of this calm review without any type of objection or embarrassment on my part. Also, for curious completists, I recommend going back and searching ViriAor to read Rocky’s review of his previous album from 2016. WORLD5 create songs that do not exceed 4 minutes in length but tend to leave you with a deep feeling of extensive and lasting music.

ViriAOR