Before FM burst onto the scene, the Overland brothers were cutting their teeth in Wildlife, a band they put together in 1980. Wildlife released two albums and this is the second self-titled album that was released on Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song label. This release unfortunately led to their demise, as the label went bust around this time.
If you are familiar with FM’s AOR sound then this doesn’t stray too far from that path. It maybe has a little more crunch added to the mix, thanks in most part to a crisp production by Bad Company’s Mick Ralphs. The band are at their best when they get into that mid tempo groove, like in Taking A Chance. It’s a great little tune with a nice riff accompaniment to that four four groove, as well as a great hook and chorus, it’s my favourite tune on the album. It’s a shame the album wasn’t released in the US because a track like Midnight Stranger with its cool laid back groove would have done really well on FM radio.
It’s cool to look back on bands’ early days. This is an enjoyable listen.
7.5/10 from The Grooveman.
