Dare
Road to Eden

This is the fourth time I write about Dare, and I think this new effort sounds exactly like the previous three. There isn’t much in terms of variation and evolvement when it comes to the music of Darren Wharton and his Dare. I wonder if they don’t dare to change, or something like that. In a career spanning for decades, one would imagine that you would grow bored with doing the same, I know I tend to be and wanting to try new things all the time. That is the nature of being creative, but I doubt most musicians are creative they seem to be of a more diligent nature than a creative one.

It is the same kind of soft rock as the previous three albums I have reviewed, Darren sounds the same on the vocals. I like his voice; he has an interesting tonality and emotional resonance. The style of music is less interesting being typical soft rock style, or is it hard rock with a melodic side? It is pretty relaxed whatever it is, and there are nods backwards to where Darren has appeared himself, but there are also some very Rainbowesque sounds in one of the songs – not as great as Rainbow but clearly a nod to Blackmore’s greatest era.

Not a very varied album, and as I already stated it is nothing different from the previous albums I have reviewed by Dare. It is almost like he is doing the same album on repeat, a pointless endeavour in most regards. The songs are good through the entire album, but it is like you are waiting for a climax that never really comes. The song I alluded to before, Fire Never Fades sounds a lot like Rainbow with the guitar style and melody, the Rainbow songs had more of a flow though as this song like everything Darren writes feels a bit like disjointed. I think the latter is the reason why his songs never take off, the verses are never really connected to the choruses, and the intros aren’t connected to the songs. It usually starts off with one thing, then it quiets down before the verse, then the verse, and then a chorus that feels like it doesn’t belong to that verse. I slightly exaggerate, but the songs by Dare are a bit like that, all of them.

If you liked the previous Dare albums you will like this one, it is no difference. To me it is a bit of an anti-climax as it never takes off like it should. It is like they never dare to let loose and risk anything, therefore the songs are a bit safe, and slightly tired. You will not dislike Road to Eden, it is a decent album, I just wish that they dared more because this is a little boring.

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