Monday, July 13, 2015

Face To Face - Confrontation

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Confrontation, the second studio album from the Boston new-wave band Face To Face.


Side one starts with "Tell Me Why", the album's first single. The song opens with an urgent, cascading melody that gets the heart racing. The rest of the track is a solid rocker.

"Confess" keeps the rocking rhythms coming. Its core message is that the truth will set you free.

Lead singer Laurie Sargent captures that feeling of being paralyzed by passion on "Why Do I Say".

"Too Late", a duet, shows the thoughts of two lovers who both realize it is time to call it quits. The track has a stronger rock edge to it than the others on this side.

The mid-tempo "The 4th Watch" closes out the first half of the record.

Side two begins with "Walk Into the Fire", a mid-tempo song about proving one's love is true.

"When Time Stands Still" is next. The band is backed by a big horn section, giving the song a powerful presence.

"Shake the World" is about finding the strength to change a situation for the better.

Next up is "A Boy Like You".

The original album closes with "America's Dream". The lyrics make an allusion to the motto found on the Statue of Liberty.

Although I knew Face To Face from their debut, Confrontation never hit my radar back in the 80's. I suspect that unlike the debut's singles, this one's tracks did not get as much (if any) club play or MTV rotation. A few years ago, though, I downloaded the album from emusic on a whim, and I found I liked it a good bit. I have a bit of a thing for the lesser known acts of the 80's. The re-release of Confrontation features two bonus tracks that include an extended remix of the single for "Tell Me Why".

For more from Face To Face, click here.

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