One Step Over the Line

One Step Over the Line, released in June 2016, is the second album, on which First Signal built neat melodic rock around a powerful yet warm vocal. Keyboard colour, singing guitar and thick harmonies are placed in balance, and the songs move naturally toward big choruses. Six years had passed. In that time Harem Scarem had come back with Thirteen, but Harry Hess would not let go of this name as a place to sound the good songs arriving from writers everywhere. Taking the helm in place of Dennis Ward was the Swedish producer and drummer Daniel Flores. Michael Palace handled guitar and bass, and of the original team only Hess remained. It values sounding good songs and good hooks properly over showy experiment — which is why it flows well however often you play it, and why the small arrangement details stay with you. Flores plays the same role in The Murder of My Sweet and Find Me, writing, drumming, playing keys and finishing the record himself. This arrangement would run for three albums.