LOVE.45 – Love.45

With their self-titled debut release on Rock Ridge Music, Love.45 has all the makings of the “next big thing.” After releasing three disks on their own, Love.45 now find themselves on a major label with a big name producer, 3 Doors Down guitarist Chris Henderson. Henderson, along with Geoff Ott, have really given Love.45 a polished and full sound that pushes them to the upper echelon of today’s rock artists. Like a finely-aged single-malt whiskey, Love.45 goes down smooth.

Love.45 is a punchy Pop powerhouse of radio-oriented Rock ‘N’ Roll, that makes no pretense about its well-crafted, easily palatable, ear candy. The first single and opening track, “Way Down,” sings the hollows of a man in wanting, yet the chorus is still big and ringing and you know you’ll be singing it for days. The same goes for the strangely prophetic “Don’t Ask Me,” which starts with “In time I’ll be doing fine when I’m on the radio.” Like picking fruit from a tree, each song is ready and waiting for its chance to dazzle its listeners with its sounds of effortless chords with ripe melodies. The songs “So Loud” and “Just Lie to Me” offer easy choices for the next single.

There are two vocalists in Love.45, bassist Danny Elster and guitarist Mick Shivers. Each take their respective turn at the microphone, offering an overall deeper dimension to the sound. Danny handles the majority of the tracks, leaning towards the more sentimental brooding pieces, whereas Mick just likes to let it all hang out as if to open up a party with his performances. Despite the twin voices, the sound is never anything but distinct Love.45, anchored by the ever-solid and always-smiling Jim Messina, and flourishing with the tasty guitar riffing of the one-man show, Paul Trinadad Jr.

There is no secret to the success of this band, no strings being pulled, and no friends in high places. It’s just four guys willing to put in a lot of hard work, who paid attention to the details, and kept a collective single-minded focus. Never caught in a revolving door of egomaniacs and wannabe’s, Mick, Danny, Paul, and Jim built and walked through their own door to success.