Album Review: Marc Ribler - "The Whole World Awaits You"

 

Signed to Wicked Cool Records, we first encountered Marc Ribler via his Shattered single way back in March which was a pleasant slice of Ryan Hamilton style power pop. Hailing from New Jersey, it's maybe not a surprise that he's found himself on Little Steven's label and the opening title track here definitely reminds me a bit of an '80s track from his mentor which is no bad thing with maybe a touch of Electric Angels style spiteful pop sensibility. Second song I'm Comin' Around sees him going almost full on country-pop and while it's nice enough, you do feel like it could do a bit more of a kick in with the sugary sweetness.

In fact this seems to become more of an issue as the album goes on - The Only Truth is a nice enough song but it's a bit difficult to get the spectre of U2's painfully self-righteous Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of out of your head when you're listening to it. The haunting War On Peace at least sounds a bit more dark and sinister and provides a much needed change of pace with a spot of political invective and even if it gets a little bit cloying at times, the right sentiment is at least there and the aforementioned Shattered has a bit more of a kick to it to take the tempo up a notch to good effect.

Fly Away sounds more like the Eagles in one of their more tender moments (Desperado, Lyin' Eyes or similar) than anything which I don't mind too much but I can certainly see scaring a few people off! Manzanillo, as its title suggests, sees Ribler taking on more of a mariachi shuffle and works well enough and Torn Apart is a decent slice of Tom Petty style country-pop with an agreeably skyscraping chorus (just try to put memories of groping uber-creep Ryan Adams' New York New York out of your head while listening to it and you'll be fine). Without You and Who Could Ask For Anything More? are pleasant enough but as with a few of the earlier tracks don't really reach out and grab you the way they should despite the latter at least having some angry words to say about couch potato capitalism. Which leaves the Ryan Hamilton style bitter breakup ode of History and the sinister This Is How The Song Goes to finish things off.

I feel a bit bad for being negative about this album as it's a perfectly serviceable slice of MOR countrified pop and there's certainly albums out there which are far more deserving of your venom. The trouble is that while it's the sort of album you'd happily give a character reference to if it came to you asking for one to assist with its mortgage application, it's just a bit too bleedin' nice for its own damn good. And, as any Rose Tattoo/G'n'R fans will tell you, nice boys don't play rock 'n' roll. A perfectly pleasant album then, well played and produced, but one which is chronically lacking any sort of punch to really grab your attention. Shame.

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