REVIEW: FRAGILE THINGS – BROKEN SUN (2017)

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From the land of roundabouts to the Sunset Strip

If you will forgive the self-indulgence of writing in the first  person, as a kid, growing up in the English Midlands in the 1980s, this reviewer was unashamedly a glam rocker. Bon Jovi, Gun n Roses, Poison, Warrant, Cinderella and millions more spoke to what is now Maximum Volume in our early teens in a way that nothing else did.

This feeling of nostalgia was heightened late last year when it was 25 years since the first gig I ever attended. Skid Row/LA Guns and Love/Hate at the NEC Birmingham on 20th November 1991, and as such, there was a feeling of getting misty eyed and going “when I were a lad” when this dropped into the MV inbox.

Because, while at 41, tastes change a bit and things move, on this now reviewer in the English Midlands, was pretty gratified that the torch for what loads of us loved as a kid – and what we were told that Kurt Cobain killed as soon as he loaded up on guns and brought his friends – was still being carried.

Fragile Things who hail from Milton Keynes, are not some tribute – although we’d wager that if they were they’d do a better job than the godawful showing Richie Sambora put in when supporting Bad Company last Autumn  –  but they are infused with the spirit and the melodies of those times throughout this four tracker.

“The Enemy Is I” bursts out of the speakers and fair old slams, coming complete as it does with a real fists in the air chorus, “Open Cage” – which adds a pleasing little downtuned element and comes on like early G n R jamming with really early AIC – is even better, and by the time the title track has turned up, with all the ambition, cocksure attitude and hooks that all the best young bands should have, we defy you not to get a) nostalgic (if you are a certain age) or b) swept along with it (if you were too young to remember this first time around.

The last one here is really interesting, though. “So Cold” is a brilliant song. A real grooving, swinging thing, but it does have an element of Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” about the riff, which is all the proof you need that Fragile Things might actually be a strong for a long time.

And that might be the key to this in fairness. Look at Heaven’s Basement (and then look at Fragile Things’ singer and see if you remember him). They had to go through three name changes and God knows how many line-up changes before they found their feet – and an audience. If Fragile Things have the same tenacious attitude to go with their obvious talent, then they might have a chance.

Whatever, that is for the future. This is now, and this is really fun.

Rating 8.5/10

 

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