“Under Southern Skies” is the brand new, 8th studio album by British melodic rock/AOR band “Newman”. Active since the late `90s, led by singer/songwriter Steve Newman, the outfit saw “The art of balance” -their previous album- become their biggest selling studio effort to date.
In contrast to the up-tempo hard rocking approach of “The Art of balance”, the new album takes “Newman” back to the roots with standard/mid tempo songs for the biggest part. The protagonist instrument on “Under Southern Skies” are expectedly Steve’s vocals being even higher in the mix this time; also featuring impressive lead guitar work and classic sounding riffs by Shaun Besant while in good Newman fashion equally important is the contribution of keyboardist Paul Doyle. The rhythm section of Dave Bartlett and Rob McEwan is considerably more reserved this time, still indispensable for “Newman”s musical foundation.
“Under Southern Skies” is probably the most classic-sounding AOR album in “Newman”s discography to date, featuring some of the most memorable choruses in the band’s catalogue. Song like the opener “Killing me”, “Ghost in the night”, “Without warning” and “Fire with fire” are commanding melodic rockers that engage the listener from first note to last. The radio-potential of “Under Southern Skies” is undeniable and one can not see how any AOR/melodic rock fan could fail to enjoy Newman’s new offering. If you enjoy commanding yet mature AOR you should definitely try “Under Southern Skies”.
1 Killing Me
02 If He Loves You
03 Under Southern Skies
04 Strength To Carry On
05 Ghost In The Night
06 Without Warning
07 She’s Gone
08 Fire With Fire
09 Save No Prisoners
10 Wish You Were Here
11 Montserrat.
Steve Newman – Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards
Rob McEwan – Drums & Percussion
Shaun Besant – Lead Guitar on If He Loves You
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