Rob Preston (aka Pink Bomb) - Passengers CD

Hear The Track Here

Sometimes I'm way too soft, especially when it concerns round shiny things. In this particular case we are not talking about coins of the realm, merely CDs. I often get sent CDs but don't very often review them because I have a) no time and no life b) one track per band is plenty enough, even for someone with my copious capacity for music. Still Rob Preston (aka Pink Bomb) chatted me up some flattery and viola! I get a 12 track CD and you get earache/eyestrain. Life, as they say, couldn't get much better. Well, actually it could and the reason this CD is getting the airing it is, is because when I reviewed What About Us (January 2008) it absolutely blew me on my ass, It goes without saying that this is a track from this very CD.

I've had to change my reviewing procedure a bit for this too so I've been living with it for a week or so, and the admiration this artist gained with that first track is very much enhanced. Hold On starts the proceedings and sets the tone and the bar is very high, at least on the songwriting/production side. It's a dynamite track though, full of neat little pop touches. Trust In Me starts like a Doobie Bros oldie before settling into a nice funk lope with excellent vocals, and the middle eight is dynamite; a very commercial sound. Jazz Mag, despite it's description, has more to do with modern dance, an electro dance track at that - but that's no bad thing izzit? However, before you know it you have acoustic guitar licks hitting you from every angle and that is very jazzy indeed. As if that isn't enough it raps!! What Can You Do gives you the slightest of pauses before Broken assails you earholes with it's lush strings and arrangement - one of my favourite tracks from the CD (along with Go Postal)...

There are three female vocalists on this track and all three of them sound great; Monique Lawson, Roxanne Conway and Marika Beckford and I have no idea which is which - and I don't even care. I can't say I am overly fond of the instrumental side shown by some of the other tracks but that's just a personal preference. Tinkly pianos and strings never does anything for me. I had issues with the mix once or twice but overall this is a CD that actually sounds good on any system. There are enough songs on it that I liked which got me through the ones I didn't particularly care for; much like any regular CD. Ahh, but then you wouldn't be supporting your neighbourhood indie musician, would you? You know it makes sense. Pop in all its varieties.

Recommended. (some of these tracks are on SC...)