Twenty-two years into their career and Spiritual Beggars continue, unstinting, unbending, immutable. Although founded in 1994, ‘Sunrise to Sundown’ predominantly showcases a sound that predates that, bursting with all of the trappings of 80s hair rock in the vain of Van Halen, Whitesnake and Rainbow. The title track kicks off the album in classic 80s rock style. The lyrics are littered with clichés like ‘in for a penny, in for a pound’ and the hackneyed hooks keep coming on ‘Still Hunter’ with its refrain of ‘I got you under my skin’. Or, more accurately, ‘Ahgotchooundermahskiyynnnnn’.
Elsewhere, the bombastic fret wizardry of ‘What Doesn’t Kill You’ is lifted from Iron Maiden’s grandiose template before throwing in an immense keyboard solo that would have Rik Wakeman cursing with envy. And then there’s ‘No Man’s Land’, which starts off Whitesnake then goes all psychedelic Beatles around halfway through, and if ‘Dark Light Child’ places more emphasis on the riff, it’s still a bad Soundgarden rip at best.
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I would ask if there’s any market for this guff, but the fact they’re still going says there is. But who’s the audience? It isn’t that I can’t see the appeal as such, but in a world there there already exist nine albums by Foreigner, 16 by REO Speedwagon, a dozen by Whitesnake… Spiritual Beggars really aren’t bringing anything new to the party here.
Spiritual Beggars Online
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