Blog Post
Creye - 'II'
Iain McArthur • 27 January 2021
Album Review
Every year, a handful of relatively unknown ‘Tier 2’ melodic rock bands sneak out a strong contender for album of the year. In 2020 it was Perfect Plan, Black Swan and One Desire but it looks like young Swedish band Creye are going to be one of this year’s group of unheralded heroes.
As you might have guessed from the title, this is their second release. Happily, their “II” is a big step forward from their debut so, unlike Jaws or Police Academy, we can savour this sequel and look forward to “III” in due course with a bit of confidence.
It only takes about 20 seconds of the first track to reel you in with an ear-worm melody. The remaining 3 minutes 21 seconds of “Broken Highway” are equally good, featuring a lovely chorus, a big drum break and some tasteful guitar soloing. Great song.
I would say this is on the gentler side of AOR, so if you’re into tales of love lost & found, shimmering keyboard intros, big drums, synth solos, classic key-changes, ‘woah-ohs’ and euphoric choruses then you’ll love this. And if you’re not; WTF is wrong with you?
“Can’t Stop What We Started” is probably the most ‘poppy’ or radio-friendly tune but it crosses over well. “Carry On” and “Find A Reason” are more upbeat but there’s quality all the way through, including “Closer” and “The Greatest” near the end. It might have been easy to miss this on release but it is well worth checking it out if you enjoy the soft and fluffy side of rock.