NEWMAN – The Art Of Balance (2010)

It’s been a few years since we heard any new material from Steve Newman, the veritable one man band behind seven previous Newman releases.

The album starts with over a minute of news reports about dead pop and rock stars mixed together.
There’s Cobain, Hutchence and Jackson all lining coffins, paving the way for a very lively song called “Hero To Zero”, about the price of fame. Although the intro is certainly odd and a bit overlong, the song that follows sets the tone for the album perfectly.
It’s fast, melodic and catchy as hell, something Newman has a real talent for producing.

There’s no true influence here, and instead you can take several bands and throw them all in to get an idea of the Newman sound.
Try Brother Firetribe, Ten, H.E.A.T and Foreigner (but not the wussy stuff) for starters and you’ll get some idea of what we’re dealing with.

When Newman turns on the power he is simply brilliant.
The faster tracks on “The Art Of Balance” are by far the best, and “Edge Of The World”, “Endless” and “Stronger” kick some serious ass.
There are plenty of mid paced tracks as well, with some admirably fiddly guitar work throughout.
As well as playing and writing the majority of the album, Newman also delivers a great sound as producer, one I can’t fault in any way.
Vocally, he’s always had a strong voice, and whilst not one of the greats he has a similar range to Eclipse’s Erik Martennson which shows he is no slouch in this department.

If you’re the sort of person who appreciates solid, guitar driven, catchy melodic hard rock, then Newman is someone you really need to be introduced to.

01 – Hero To Zero
02 – Edge Of The World
03 – Endless
04 – The Miracle
05 – Stay With Me
06 – Tumble Down
07 – Wish You Well
08 – Find My Heart
09 – Your Surrender
10 – Break It Again
11 – Forever
12 – Stronger

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