Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

Have you ever wondered what happened to the bands from the eighties that just had that whole soft and gentle but strong and powerful style? Did you ever think you would hear that style again? Well you can. I introduce you to Five A.M., a band on the verge of making a big name for themselves. This debut album is one for the history books. It has a great feel to it that just lifts you up to a higher level of bliss. The songs are well written and moving but the singing itself needs to be worked on. In the end, this is simply a tribute to what we lost when the eighties left. I was just a kid myself but I remember being taken to very serene places by the music and this album brought me back to that place. A place where the music was real and the feeling was pure. The heart of music can be found in this album and Five A.M. are the men behind that heart.

The whole album had an upbeat, tranquil feel to it. Although I'll admit that it did start off a little slow with the first track, "Lost and Found" but it definitely picks up with "Go For a Ride". My only complaints for these songs, as well as the rest on the album, would be that they end too abruptly and they're too short. The vocals are off as well.

The best tracks on the album are "Joker", "Caged Bird", " Painted Woods" and  "Paper Bag". All of these songs contained heartfelt lyrics and they just had an all around calm feel to them. Another good track is "Sway". The beat for it is crazy and spontaneous. As with every song on the album the lyrics are great and well song but the vocals just aren't right. The harmonization is a little off key and flat at times but it doesn't dampen the spirit of the song any.

Although the tracks listed above are the best songs on the album, my personal favorites would have to be "Restless" and the bonus instrumental track at the end. "Restless" is just a beautiful song. It made me rather sleepy but not because the song was boring but because it's so much like a lullaby. You can close your eyes and almost see the words to the song floating around in a whirlwind of serenity in your mind. The feeling is just unbelievable. The instrumental track is just a raw, uncut track with a thumping beat and funky rhythm. It should have definitely been made into one of the main tracks of the album except with words to it. That would have been a hit.

So, when your sense of hearing needs to be treated to the influential sound of the eighties, then Five A.M. is the band that you should call upon. This was a splendid debut from a great breakout band. It's almost guaranteed that with the right exposure, these guys will make a huge dent in the music industry. Their genuine and heartfelt sound is one that can't be touched by many bands and this album is the perfect example of that. I am certainly looking forward to hearing more from these guys in the future.