Harem Scarem

The self-titled Harem Scarem is a debut that beautifully binds the drive of hard rock and an AOR refinement around Harry Hess’s smooth, powerful singing and Pete Lesperance’s expressive guitar. Even behind the widely, openly spreading choruses, fine, intelligent craft is worked into the chord progressions and rhythm throughout. A record announcing a new melodic-hard-rock talent emerging from Canada. As in the catchy drive of the opening hit “Hard to Love,” the lyrical “Slowly Slipping Away” and the beautiful ballad “Honestly,” the songs unite accessibility and heart-striking wistfulness extremely naturally, while cuts like “Distant Memory” and “All Over Again” convey the band’s high songwriting ability. Its high polish lies in winning on outstanding melodic sense and sure playing, rather than relying on flashy style. The talent of the rare songwriting duo of Hess and Lesperance is already in full bloom. In speaking of early-1990s melodic rock, it is a splendid debut that became an indispensable starting point.