Mindfeels – ‘2WO’

(Art Of Melody)

With 2WO Mindfeels have delivered a good old fashioned AOR album! It’s clearly inspired by the genre’s heavy hitters of the Seventies and Eighties, chocked full of melodic guitar licks, emotive vocal melodies and joyful soundscapes. Whilst the band’s heart lays firmly in the genre’s heyday, these songs are fresh and modern, as if this sound hadn’t been driven underground and kept alive by a loyal and sometimes rabid fanbase.

Mindfeels have really impressed me with this album, I found it really uplifting and joyous. I know I will keep returning to these songs especially this upcoming summer, it’ll be the perfect accompaniment to a sun filled day. It’s full of songs that stick with you and leave you smiling uncontrollably, it’ll definitely lift anyone out of a slump or light up a dark day.

There are some West Coast touches to the band’s sound but on the whole, I found the album to be harder edged than that genre label would normally signal, but those touches are apparent and I feel help strengthen that sunshine feel that courses through this album’s veins.

The production is really slick, and it really enhances the impact of all those songs, boosting the uplifting atmospherics and giving the songs a lush ear caressing smooth velvety coating. The musicianship overall is superb, these guys are extremely talented, and it comes across immediately that these guys know their craft.

Vocalist Davide Gilardino has the perfect voice for this style of pure AOR, smooth and silky and eases his way through emotive vocal melodies frequently. A strong vocalist that makes sure these words hit you directly in the feels! Guitarist Luca Carlomagno clearly went to Steve Lukather’s school for aspiring guitarists; his guitar work is so reminiscent of him it would be hard to believe he wasn’t raised on a healthy diet of Toto and Luke’s solo work.

After one spin it was clear that 2WO would appeal to fans of Toto and indeed Steve Lukather’s guitar style. Mindfeels have created a solid and enjoyable slice of pure AOR that comes across like warm sunshine hitting your face, it is really uplifting and heartwarming. They don’t make them like this anymore, well they do obviously – but you know what I mean! AOR enthusiasts should grab this one, for me it’s an essential purchase, remember to turn it up and enjoy!

8/10

Essential Track – ‘Something New’

Review by Woody