LEVARA (feat Trev Lukather & Steve Perry) – Levara (2021)

LEVARA is a three-piece rock band with some serious rock and roll resumes. Guitarist Trev Lukather is the son of Steve Lukather of Toto fame, while drummer Josh Devine was a globe-trotting superstar with the pop group One Direction. Vocalist Jules Galli, meanwhile, has developed a dedicated audience around the world with his powerhouse vocals and dynamic stage presence.
Together, they’re budding superstars with a uniquely magnetic appeal, and they’re gearing up to release their debut self-titled album “Levara” on May 14, where ex-Journey singer Steve Perry has lent his talents on backing vocals.
Lukather & Devine said; “We all love classic rock, but we wanted to pay homage to it with a modern twist. Where’s the rock on the radio? Where’s the music we grew up loving? Where’s the guitar?” Trev Lukather urges, “We bring the feel-good anthems filled with emotion, tension and groove. Providing that much needed mutual escape. We are in it together. Artist to listener.”

Every tune on the band’s debut emanates from inspiration culled from their lives, and their mission is to rally the globe to connect and groove with the band. These songs display a larger than life sound. Anthemic tunes written and recorded visualizing a mass audience becoming one with the body of work.

A perfect example of how great this band is can be found in the song ‘Automatic‘. When a chorus comes down to a repeating of just one word, but still manages to sound enthralling, then it really is about the musicianship on display carrying the load, and this band has the ability to do just that. This is exactly what radio-friendly rock should be sounding like in 2021.
Lots to love here, from the underlying funkiness in the verses, to the time changes from Josh Devine, and the scream from singer Jules Galli at the end of the song (I do love a good scream).

The best song for me, and a predicted fan favorite, is ‘Can’t Get Over‘, a uptempo track with a super catchy sing along chorus. There are programmed double claps in the chorus that get me each and every time, ensuring that I will have trouble driving and listening to this song at the same time. I’ll be too tempted to take my hands off the wheel to clap along.
Interestingly enough, the background vocals feature Steve Perry (yes, that Steve Perry) Admittedly, I would not know that without the bio telling me. It’s not like you can distinctly make him out, but being that there is a certain magic to the chorus, perhaps it’s his addition that takes this song into the stratosphere.

Other favorite tracks include ‘Ordinary‘, an uptempo track with a Rick Springfield inspired vibe to it. ‘Just A Man‘, a midtempo track with my favorite vocal arrangement from Galli. His soaring, bordering on screaming, vocals makes his pain palpable to the listener and will no doubt be sung by anyone who’s ever been frustrated in a relationship, which of course is everyone.
‘No One Above You‘ is the sole ballad, with Jules’ voice boarding on falsetto at times and gang vocal effects underlying the guitar solo and outro of the song. Amazing.

I’ve mentioned the voice prowess of Mr. Galli enough, so let’s discuss the rest of the band. Trev Lukather makes his father proud by performing phenomenally on this album. The effects and sounds he brings out of his guitar, especially during the solos, differentiates him from other guitarists who would simply shred away.
Drummer Josh Devine brings unique time changes to a bunch of songs rather than a straight forward rhythm. His changes are slightly progressive, but still maintain a rock&pop sensibility.
Unfortunately, it’s not clear in the press release who performs bass on the album, but seems Trev does.

LEVARA is a fantastic example of everything that modern, melodic pop-rock should sound like and it would be a crime if this album did not receive the recognition it so rightly deserves in mainstream media.
Highly Recommended

 

01 – Heaven Knows
02 – Automatic
03 – Ever Enough
04 – On For The Night
05 – Allow
06 – Can’t Get Over
07 – Chameleon
08 – Ordinary
09 – Just A Man
10 – No One Above You

Trev Lukather – guitar, bass
Jules Galli – lead vocals
Josh Devine – drums
Steve Lukather – vocals
Steve Perry – vocals

 

Pre Order:
www.amazon.com/LEVARA/dp/B08TZ3HTGJ