Mechanical Resonance

Mechanical Resonance is the debut TESLA built by trusting the feel of the guitar riffs and the band’s cohesion over excessive ornament. Frank Hannon and Tommy Skeoch’s guitars push and pull against each other, and Jeff Keith’s slightly raspy singing gives the songs an earthy warmth. True to a band name derived from the inventor Nikola Tesla, they put forth a sturdy, sincere American hard rock, set apart from the flashy glam metal in fashion at the time. The breadth of “Modern Day Cowboy,” the ache of “Little Suzi,” and the momentum of “EZ Come EZ Go” and “Comin' Atcha Live” have the power to bring a 1970s hard-rock feel into 1980s venues. Songs like “2 Late 4 Love,” “Rock Me to the Top” and “Changes” breathe the band’s firm melodic sense too. Carefully placing memorable hooks within honest playing and clearly showing the musical foundation of later TESLA, it is a strong debut that radiates a distinct presence even within 1980s hard rock.