80s heaven
I recently caught Mia Klose ( not literally, she wasn't throwing herself out of a burning bedroom or anything like that), I mean 'caught' as in seeing her perform at the inaugural HRH AOR festival the other weekend up in Rotherham's Magna.
I was both fortunate and unfortunate. Fortunate, as Mia was pretty damned good. Unfortunate, as I only managed to catch 3 songs due to a clash with the mighty headliners Tesla, and the fact that the 2nd stage was a bit piss poor and viewing was optional – now you see her now you don't due to the room configuration! That gripe aside I was pretty keen in hearing more of this young Swedish starlet now housed in London.
So, its an appropriate album title then. Based in one of the better cities to ply your trade, Mia definitely oozes 80s style rock/metal judging by the album cover. Does she look good? Hell Yeah! Does she sound good? Thankfully unlike some of the 80s starlets who looked great but couldn't always sing, Mia can sing her ass off. And then some!
So, off to a very promising start indeed. Her music is a perfect fusion of metal and melody that screams radio hit, and her talent for style and visual expression frequently stops traffic.
Musically, think young Axl Rose, Madonna and Michael Monroe treading the hard rock floorboards of Skid Row, Mötley Crüe and Bon Jovi, with a wardrobe that would impress any 80s rock Queens. Her sound takes you back to the 1980's, golden era of metal and rock. Mia's vocals are powerful and controlled, backed by heavy guitar riffs and structured songwriting. The emphasis is on quality, and it shows in every aspect of her performance. I'm both amazed and very pleased that people as young as Mia are happy to peddle melodic rock. There's not that many that make a decent living at it, but there's always hope for artistes like Klose who with the right management / songs / attitude can and hopefully will make a go of it.
London plays on Klose's strengths – opening track Open Your Eyes takes me straight back to my legwarmers and spandex years of 1987 with the riffs of the likes of George Lynch and the layered vocal prowess and catchy chorus. You Drive Me Crazy again is a no messin' in yer face riff that brings comparisons to Sandi Saraya. I don't know who put the band together, but the guitar playing is pretty damn good. I suspect its like the old days where starlet has hired gunslingers, but I'm certain in this instance all had a hand in the making of London
My only issue so far, especially after hearing Mia perform 'live' and very capably, is that the songs are filled out with about 3 layers of Mia's vocals, where if I'm honest, I would just like to hear her, on her own for some of the verses. If anything it seems a little too over produced.
Living For Tomorrow has Guns 'N' Roses DnA all the way thru, and the high energy of Lady Killer both stand out.
In true 80s vinyl style, London weighs in at a very short 36 mins in which Mia has definitely gone for the whole 80s experience. Never mind the length, it's the quality that really counts and Miss Klose has it in abundance
Its not perfect, as debuts go - but it's a bloody good start
I look forward to another punchy album, hopefully soon, that will see Mia able to headline her own gigs and have a pretty decent set of songs to play. She's definitely one to keep a close eye on
www.miaklose.com
www.facebook.com/miaklose
www.twitter.com/mia_klose