FM – ‘Old Habits Die Hard’

Formed in the summer of 1984, FM released their incredibly fine debut, ‘Indiscreet’ two years later, followed by an impressive sophomore album in 1989’s ‘Tough It Out’. Despite success and a further three releases, the band called it a day in 1995. However, a surprise ‘one off’ reunion show in 2007 rejuvenated FM, with the band using this newfound energy to record a further seven albums of original material as well as a re-recording of ‘Indiscreet’ and well-received live performances. This rich vein of late career form is now set to continue in 2024, with Steve Overland (vocals), Merv Goldsworthy (bass), Pete Jupp (drums), Jem Davis (keyboards) and Jim Kirkpatrick (guitar) releasing new studio album ‘Old Habits Die Hard’ through Frontiers Records on 3rd May 2024, followed by a series of live dates.

For those of you concerned that an affiliation with Frontiers, undoubtedly one of the biggest melodic rock labels around, means that the FM legacy will be tainted by that very ‘samey’ project band sound heard on many of the record company’s releases, fear not! This is their sixth release with Frontiers and past endeavours have shown that FM have been allowed to forge their own path, without the interference of the label’s in-house producers and songwriters. Will it be the same with ‘Old Habits Die Hard’?

There’s a sort of Miami Vice vibe to the intro of mid-paced album opener ‘Out of the Blue’, augmented by a driving, bluesy bassline. Steve Overland’s voice has lost none of its soul and is smooth and crystal clear, hitting the high notes of the chorus with apparent ease. ‘Don’t Need Another Heartache’ sits on a layer of organ with Jem Davis’s keyboards providing depth to the song throughout, as well as some signature and superbly arranged “oooh, oooh” backing vocals. Classic FM!

‘No Easy Way Out’ is a melodic rock standard of steady bass and drums holding the song together, with catchy keyboard refrains whilst Kirkpatrick’s guitar beefs out the sound. Again, the vocals (lead and backing) stick out as being mighty impressive whilst Kirkpatrick’s restrained solo is exactly what the song requires. ‘Lost’ is a rockier, funkier affair with a heavier tougher sound… yet Overland’s silky voice still seems to be a such a perfect fit. There’s a more catchy, melodic edge to ‘Whatever It Takes’, which could be described as a mid-tempo ballad (certainly not a power ballad) with the classic verse chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, guitar solo, chorus structure. This is how melodic rock should be! Simple, catchy, effective.

As the album approaches the midpoint, ‘Black Water’ brings a more atmospheric, verging on menacing feel with some stellar piano by Davis and a powerful solo by Kirkpatrick on guitar. You know… the type of solo that makes you throw your head back and close your eyes whilst playing air guitar!

‘Cut Me Loose’ is a classic melodic rock, mid-tempo rocker driven along by the rhythm section of Goldsworthy and Jupp whilst the intro of ‘Leap of Faith’ is a bit of red herring, with a beautiful acoustic intro that suggests a ballad suddenly bursting to life into another brilliant driving rocker of a track. ‘California’ is a bit like the US state that inspired the song: feel-good, sing-along fun that evokes memories of sunshine, beaches and driving on a highway by the ocean. It’s the type of song you’d play loudly whilst driving through the state in your open-top car, with a soulful little bridge section that leads to another perfectly constructed Kirkpatrick guitar solo.

Penultimate track ‘Another Day in My World’ starts a bit out of left field, with the type of intro that you might hear on an Eminem track (is LA street, hip-hop, RnB a thing… or have I just invented a genre?). But that’s where any comparison to any other genre (whatever it may be) ends, with the more familiar melodic rock sound that FM is known for taking over. It’s probably the grittiest track on the album and leads perfectly into the wonderful vocal intro of final track ‘Blue Sky Mind’, another catchy rocker that will have you tapping your feet, steering wheel, pencil, wooden spoon or whatever utensil or surface is nearest to your hand! Great stuff!

If I’m correct, ‘Old Habits Die Hard’ is FM’s fourteenth album in total and their ninth since 2010. That’s quite a considerable output of music in a 14-year period. In fact, I’d say it’s quite prolific! However, there can be a danger when releasing so much music in such a short space of time in that it can be quantity over quality, sometimes diminishing the legacy of an artist. Fortunately, in FM’s case, the quality of the music is still very much at the forefront, giving fans the classic FM sound that they want to hear in their melodic rock; a solid rhythm section that drives the music along, layers of keyboards, power chords and guitar solos… and the unbelievably smooth and seemingly ageless voice of Steve Overland. It’s not ground-breaking or original and in fairness, they’re not trying to be. But it’s another late-career highlight that is unmistakably FM. After all, why change a formula that has worked so well for 40 years? Old habits die hard, indeed!

‘Old Habits Die Hard’ is released through Frontiers Records on Friday 3rd May 2024 and will be available on CD, vinyl and on the usual streaming outlets. The band will be touring the UK throughout May with dates in Nottingham, Gateshead, Leeds, Bury St Edmonds, Birmingham, Cardiff, Newbury, Exeter, Southampton, London, Belfast, Glasgow and Aberdeen.