Old Habits do indeed Die Hard for 80s AOR stalwarts, FM. Their distinctive melodic rock sound with a splash of rock is very much at the fore once again, and to be fair hasn't deviated much over the last four decades. It's a recipe that has served the band and their fans well.
The band's continual ability to craft memorable songs and hooks has grown with every album. While their sound has occasionally been heavier, this album almost takes the band full circle in terms of tone, opener 'Out of the Blue' could almost have been ripped straight from the 'Indiscreet' album, while 'No Way Out' is straight out of the 1985 songbook.
Vocalist Steve Overland has found that magical vocal elixir of youth, and has maintained his set of pipes, 'Leap of Faith' being an obvious example. Considering many vocalists have developed a raspier sound as they've aged, Steve sounds as fresh as the band's debut album.
Despite seldom veering from the tried and tested path, since their reformation in 2007, FM haven't been sitting on their laurels, content to churn out the same old same old. Every track is crammed with energy and enthusiasm for the music and never seems tired. The album also sees the band in a comfortable enough zone to play with their trade mark sound on the bluesy pop number 'California' and 'Another Day in My World' adds a more contemporary flavour, but it's a rare departure.
As the old adage says "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," and it works like a charm.
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