I've put off reviewing this for a while. There are a couple reasons. First, the whole thing just feels (and really kind of is) a bit gimmicky. Secondly, though, the two guys who make up the core of this band are literally kids - as in pre-teen. There's the gimmick, but also there's the rub. I didn't like the idea of saying anything negative about music produced by a couple kids. Ultimately, though, if they are going to play in the big leagues, they need to learn to get thick skin. Besides that, there really isn't that much negative to say about this.
This album comes with the CD and a bonus DVD. The music here is a bit on the generic side, but it's also well done. It's hard rock with some pop, but also some punk, edges. There is a decent range, too. Nothing here is Earth-shattering, but then again, these are kids. This shows a lot of potential and promise for great things to come from these guys.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2017 Volume 2 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
We Are V² (V Squared)
Mix hard rocking sounds with a real Disney rock kind of sound, and you'll be in the right territory here.
Rock This House This is more or less a heavy metal tune. It's a screaming hot number. I like it better than the opener. The mix is perhaps a bit on the pop end of the spectrum, but this just rocks.
She's My 57 Chevy Based on old-school rock and roll, this works pretty well. It's a bit cheesy in some of the layers of sound over the top. Add into that the fact that it's not really my kind of thing. Still, this is effective.
Girls! Stars! Money! Cars! I like the guitar solo drop down section on this. The cut rocks out really well, too. This is one of the better pieces here, really.
I Like Doing This the Best This is a bit more of a mainstream rocker with some pop music in the mix. It's still quite strong, really.
Hard and Fast A fairly straight ahead metallic rocker, this is a stomper for sure. I dig the guitar solo.
So Long My Love More of a power ballad, this is a nice song. It's actually quite strong. I like the balance between the mellower stuff and more rocking. The whole cut is pretty effective.
We Want Rock Now Another straightforward, mainstream rocker, this works well.
Guitar Man Here we get another hard rocking cut. This one lands near metal, but it's not a huge change from the bulk of the set.
59 Caddy Punk and old school rock and roll merge on this rocker. It's part AC/DC and part George Thorogood.
The First Time I Ever Tried This is a classic blues tune that is all about a meeting with Buddy Guy. It's a killer number that works well.
When the Devil Comes for You Here's another cut that's powered up and quite bluesy. It's a screaming hot number. I love the cool bass solo section on this piece. I really love the guitar solo, too. It's particularly scorching.
Rock Star Birthday This is a bit more of a pop rocker. The thing is, the chorus is so catchy that's almost impossible to get caught up in it.
Pass the Rock n Roll Torch Here's another screaming hot hard rocker. This is solid, but a bit samey.
Let Me Go There's definitely more of a punk edge to this. It's fast paced, high energy and pretty cool.
Long Live Rock and Roll
Although this song is about as generic as you can get (I remember the first song I ever wrote with my first band was titled "Rock and Roll Will Never Die"), this is still pretty solid.
