DIFFERENT STRINGS: IT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING...
February 2007
Different Strings first made its presence felt on the local scene in May
2005 with the low-key release of debut single Dead Man Walking, which
featured former Limestone Kick frontman Alan Mayo on vocals. The warm
reception for the single, especially from rock audiences, gave Chris
Mallia - the one-man band behind Different Strings - the momentum to
complete his debut long player. As the title suggests, this is really a
beginning of sorts, and given the opportunity, more intense
post-production would certainly add to this record’s focused appeal and
extended vision. As Mallia admits, this album is home-made in every
sense of the word. He was responsible for the song writing, programming,
performing, recording and production of the record - except of course
the vocal parts, which Alan Mayo so ably pulls off!
What is immediately obvious about this album is the strong progressive
influence behind its 45 minutes of meticulous rock ambience. Aside from
the ‘shorter’ vocal tracks (including new single All Over Again) the
album comes into its own on the longer, epic pieces – conceptual prog
compositions that ooze more than a touch of Yes here and Floyd there,
while retaining their own hard rock identity and direction. The end
result is a reflection of Mallia’s musical engagement and creative
expression, and should certainly please those already enamoured of his
Dead Man Walking single! Strongly recommended for anyone with an
old-school rock heart!
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differentstrings@hotmail.com
