Aphrodisiac

Aphrodisiac is a record on which FM, centered on Steve Overland’s smooth, powerful singing, brought together the feel of fine AOR / melodic hard rock. The combination of soft keyboards and guitar works not to push out flashily but to keep the songs’ melody long in memory. Keeping the refinement cultivated up to the previous album, it deepens a calmer, more mature hue. On “Breathe Fire,” “All Or Nothing,” “Closer To Heaven” and “Ain't Too Proud,” mid-tempo tenacity, gentle ballads and bright choruses line up naturally, and a mature composure drifts over the album. Songs like “Blood And Gasoline” and “Play Dirty” carry a firm hard-rock core too. Letting you fully savor the careful craftsmanship of British melodic rock, it is a rewarding record conveying the fullness of early-1990s FM.