BABYJANE - Are You Listening (2011)

Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s, the US was the mecca of hair metal groups that could bring the goods along with the image. Bands like TRIXTER, KEEL and FIREHOUSE were just a few, but now of all places, Australia is popping with a band that has that very same flare.
Sweden by far is leading the charge with this movement, but the Aussie’s are making some noise and BABYJANE is one of them.

Their debut "Are You Listening" is classic Hard Rock heavily influenced by the golden years of the L.A. scene; guitar driven, groovin' rockers.
Mixed in the USA by legendary producer Michael Wagener (Motley Crue, Metallica, Skid Row) and mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound in New York (Kiss, Aerosmith, Dokken), you get the picture how this CD sounds.

Opener and first single, the title track "Are You Listening", will smack you down and will draw your attention with some hard rockin’ power. Listen to the riff that binds the entire song, the fat bass, along with the very anthem-ish chorus, it's clear that this is more than a smoky barroom band. Guitarist John Gerasolo will draw comparisons to Mr. Ace Frehley in a sense yet also has his own personality and Andy Smith’s vocals have great power and style.
With songs like "Give It All Up" and "Li'l Gutters", Babyjane demonstrates what Australia stands for rock-wise, but "Quicksand" is all theirs... much more inspired by their American peers, they move away from that typical Australian sound without losing touch with it.

"Town Called Sinner Stone" has a dense tempo and guitar riff and turns the song's feel to another level. What follows is a floaty, hypnotic groove monster with a primal chorus.
"Can You Keep A Secret?" is a textbook example of an everlasting hard rock single. Ticking every box in the 'how do I make a classic hard rock song' list, this is one that will never pop up as people's favorite song, but it's so damn solid and right on the note that it's a great landmark of their artistry still.
"Twenty Too Many" kicks into another rock n' roll story that stands on groove and good riffs. The tension that's created throughout this track is another example of Baby Jane's strength.

"Miss Scorpio" is probably the most commercial, dance-able song of the album, with some great interaction between lead and backing vocals and a clear showcase of the band's bass player's capacities.
"Four Rusted Egos" is one of the most American-sounding tracks on the disc. It misses some of the punch heard in previous tracks, nevertheless, on a riff-by-riff basis, it's still a good effort.
"Demontonic" is a cheap, blues based street-feel rocker, but in the middle turns into somehow of a NWOHM tribute. Strange mix, but interesting.
"Tell Me (What I Need To Know)" ends the album with a fast riff rocker that sounds pretty dirt. This track seems taken from a previous session recording, a bit unpolished, and why not, unfinished.


"Are You Listening" certainly brings some full-throttle tracks with an adrenaline rush, packed with cool guitar riffs, quality vocals and good songs.
Baby Jane needs to work a bit more on the choruses, which often are one-liners repeated. Otherwise this group is a serious contender to becoming future rock stars that certainly do well outside Australia.
I think these guys have good potential to be a quality band for years to come.
Check them out.


01 - Are You Listening
02 - Give It All Up
03 - Li'l Gutters
04 - Quicksand
05 - Town Called Sinner Stone
06 - Can You Keep A Secret?
07 - Twenty Too Many
08 - Miss Scorpio
09 - Four Rusted Egos
10 - Demontonic
11 - Tell Me (What I Need To Know)


Andy Smith – Lead Vocals / Rhythm Guitar
John Gerasolo – Lead Guitar
Paul Judge – Bass Guitar / Vocals
Nik Kats – Drums






http://www.myspace.com/babyjaneaustralia
IF YOU LIKE IT, BUY IT!