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The Fire is a rock band from Italy and the foursome rocked the Italian underground with countless shows. Now they are hitting the international rock scene with Abra Cadabra. The intro Never leads over to the title track, a heavy rocker which sounds quite American. A bit like a heavier version of bands like Nickelback, 3 Doors Down or a bit more rock-like then Billy Talent. Songs like the rockers Wasted, Yvonne or the piano-based ballad Sweet Enemy would fit US rock radio and MTV... If the Italians get a chance to break into the American market their songs should do quite good. Even if the punky version of the Sinatra classic New York won't please everybody, but it also shows that they do what they like, not what the market might demand. One of my favorites is Bohemian Burlesque, a melodic rocker with heavy riffing and a catchy hook. Singer Olly shows his range from shouts to almost whispered parts. His vocals are one of The Fire's strong points! With 'hey, hey' shouts they kick off Lady Motorcycle, the backings remind me a bit of AC/DC... But the song is more based in classic / stadium rock. Another highlight is Walk, after this Nickelback-ish on they add some crunchy riffs and a punky attitude to their rock for Emily. The closer is a cover version of the Bronski Beat track Small Town Boy. The 80's pop tune is based on heavy riffs now, but they manage to stick to the original. Well done!
Okay, The Fire don't present something new, but the album is fun. I prefer an album which is fun to listen to, to one which is trying hard to be unique!
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