ll BIG – Face in the Glass

ll BIG – Face in the Glass / 2007 Self / 10 Tracks / http://www.thebandiibig.com /

The walking bass that is present during the opening track of “Face in the Glass” will undoubtedly remind listeners of the work of Charlie Daniels and The Outlaws, and the insistent quality of the vocals of II BIG will link them to country stars like Garth Brooks. The guitar solo that is present on the track is impressive.

In fact, this issue is worked out by the time that the second track, “Katrina”, starts. “Katrina” continues with the seventies rock sound found during “Thunder Road”, and even includes a little bit of the bass heard during the Eagles recordings and the ropy, bassy vocal stylings of Frank Zappa. The band comes up with a second strong track in “Katrina”, but allows themselves enough space to change and modify their sound in subsequent tracks. By taking two different tacks during the introductory tracks of “Face in the Glass”, a song like “Wooden Ships” can be present and not sound completely out of place. “Wooden Ships” has a funkier sound than either “Katrina” and “Thunder Road”, but does not eschew the same solid foundation that II BIG imbued previous tracks with. After a few tracks in which it was absent from the disc, the country influence that started out “Face in the Glass” is restored during the title track.

This track could conceivably be a crossover hit for II Big, as it has the same piano and narrative structure that early Billy Joel and Elton John had, while having a family-friendly sound that could easily be eaten up by Christian radio. Rather than falling into a rut, II BIG continues to vary their sound as the disc spins on. The Steppenwolf-like “Mountain Girl” is one of the fast songs on the CD, and will undoubtedly get individuals onto the dance floor in droves. II BIG has to be a hell of a bar band, as they can player the slower, somber tracks as well as they can the quicker, harder rocking songs. The energy exerted by this band coupled with the classic rock style present on “Face in the Glass” will ensure that they have a fan base whenever they end up playing that night.  Pick it up.

Top Tracks: Vegas, Katrina

Rating: 7.1/10