For my readers that don't know, Donnie Vie was once the frontman of a certain 80's "Hair Metal" band, until they decided "Enuff Z'nuff" and parted ways. (Sorry for the horrible pun, I just couldn't resist. I mean, it was right there!) Donnie has since pursued a solo career, and his latest studio offering Beautiful Things arrived just last year.
Let me say here that when you exhaust yourself on punk and metal every day like I do, listening to an album like this is an unexpected yet pleasant breath of fresh air. Don't let the fact that Donnie Vie is a former metal singer steer you wrong, this album is far from metal. I would recommend this album to fans of rock music from the 70s and early 80s, as this whole record has a very strong Elvis Costello flavor to it.
Each of the tracks on this album flow almost seamlessly into one another, the way any good album should. Donnie's strong songwriting from his days fronting Enuff is still prominent here, and his voice his not aged nearly as much as one might expect. Though there are still signs of some fading, such as the intro of "I Could Save The World," which is arguably the weakest he sounds on the whole record. However, he more than makes up for it on other tracks, including "Fallin' Through The Pages," where he proves he can still crank up the volume, growl and holler with the new kids.
The most refreshing thing, I think, about this record, is that while Donnie Vie is a rock/metal personality, the subject matter of his lyrics on this album are wholesome and dedicated to just feeling and being good. The disc came in 2019, though it feels very much like it could have arrived in 1969, as listening to it just makes me picture a sea of tie-dye and pot.
My closing thoughts on this album, and I believe I may have said this recently about a different record, is that as a whole, it was a very enjoyable listen. It is not something I ever would have thought to seek out (truth be told, I was never that big on Enuff Z'nuff...) however, it is not something that made me miserable the entire time it was on. No I feel there was only one low point on the disc, and that's simply because I'm just not a ballad guy. But my loyal readers knew that already. So will I ever listen to this album in it's entirety again? Perhaps not. However, would I recommend it in the future to people looking for some new-old-stock music? Definitely.
Beautiful Things - Donnie Vie
4 - 24 - 2019
1. Beautiful Things
2. Plain Jane
3. Breaking Me Down
4. I Could Save The World
5. Fly
6. Tender Lights
7. I'll Surrender
8. Whatever
9. Fallin' Through The Pages
10. Back From The Blue
Favorite Track: Plain Jane
Least Favorite Track: Fly
Rating: 7.8
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