GEORGE THEODOROU – Water (2021)

Germany based musician / singer GEORGE THEODOROU spend almost two decades on the studio / stage playing with some of the biggest name in the rock scene (Michael Bormann, Ryan Roxie, Lost Angels) and touring the world. In 2020, George decided that it was time for his solo career.
“Water” is his debut album, a feel-good collection of rockers, power-pop and ballads which has the trimmings of a veteran release sans the jaded attitude frequently filtering even the most optimistic of narratives to come from the seasoned rockers among us.
Theodorou brings youthful wisdom and European insight into the genre, both of which have been missing for decades, and makes for quite the case for his ascension through the indie ranks.

While there’s some guest / friends musicians collaborating, “Water” is pretty much Theodorou’s own work playing all instruments minus the drums.
Theodorou’s vocal shapes the songs verses here like nothing else could have, but I think it’s pretty clear to both the trained critic and the occasional listener the same that he isn’t pushing himself any harder than his voice can naturally handle. His vocal color is melodic, classic rock&pop.
He’s reticent to let the instrumentation handle the greater share of the melodic duties in his performance, and whether right in this or not, it forces him to give as organic (yet disciplined) a contribution to the songs as he can muster; without the aid of synthetics.

Essentially a six-string player, the guitar tones are gorgeous beside the singing, they don’t feel the least bit filtered nor touched-up as to sound a little crisper than they actually would be in a live concert. I get the impression that, when he can make it happen, George Theodorou doesn’t like to cut anything other than the most direct tonal snapshot the studio environment can afford — after all, if this weren’t the case I highly doubt he would be going to the meticulous lengths he is in this professional technical and smooth-running debut.

There’s still a hearty pop-rock center to the artistry in play on “Water”, but make no mistakes about it — all songs are born of a heavy rock aesthetic that can only do amazing things for George Theodorou so long as he continues to use it in the conservative way he has in this release.
There’s high expectations for his future as solo artist, and from the looks of his first official transmission, he isn’t going to disappoint.

 

01 – When I Cry (Extended Version)
02 – High as a Mountain
03 – Stay with Me
04 – Rock n Rolla
05 – Goodbye so Long and Farewell
06 – Woman’s Insane
07 – Why Me
08 – Secrets
09 – With a Smile
10 – Forever Wanted
11 – Journey
12 – We Win Because We Are One
13 – When I Cry (Radio Cut)

GEORGE THEODOROU – vocals, guitars, bass, keys
FLO “THE BEAST” SCHNABLO – drums

 

Buy:
www.amazon.com/dp/B09DHVFPGR