BLIND DATE – Blind Date

It’s hard to believe that the 80s music style of the “Big Hair” bands is now considered “Classic Rock”. It didn’t seem too long ago that videos by these types of bands swamped the MTV play list. It’s nice to see bands like Blind Date who still carry the torch for that type of music. Blind Date hails from Austin, Texas (USA) and was originally formed in 1988, which might account for the style of music they continue to deliver. The band delivers music in the writing and playing style of 80s bands like Danger Danger, Trixter, White Lion, and XYZ. Additionally, they’ve supported USA touring bands including: Vixen, Saigon Kick, Lynch Mob, Dangerous Toys, and Pariah. This should give you a grasp of what to expect from this release.

The first thing you’ll notice, looking at the CD’s song list, is that the song titles appear to involve women, relationships, and love. Don’t let this deter you from picking up this disc though, because the music more then makes up for the expected gooey lyrics. “Don’t Wait” is an excellent mid-tempo rocker, laden with a suitable melodic guitar solo and a multi-layered chorus. Tracks entitled along the vein of “Daddy’s Little Girl” might cause one to throw up a red flag based on the name alone. Thankfully, it turns out to be another delightful mid-tempo rocker with a tasty guitar solo. The entire release is filled with gems of this same caliber. There is not an “awful” track in the bunch. This is possibly due to the fact that the entire release adheres to the familiar 80s Melodic Rock formula. Even occasional keyboards are heard, not just as filler, but actually add to the songs’ emotion.

The band’s guitarist (band member names were not provided in the promo bio) deserves an honorable mention. While not as flashy as a George Lynch or Vito Bratta, he still manages to provide some timely fretwork that in some cases will tug at your heartstrings. For example, on the ballad “She’s Walking,” he plays his solos with the intense feel reminiscent of Steve Vai’s “The Deeper The Love” solo on Whitesnake’s Slip Of The Tongue release. Good stuff indeed!

While this release won’t drastically change one’s world musically, it’s a nice trip back to the 80s era of hairspray Melodic Rock. Blind Date is a fine addition for fans of any of the aforementioned bands. To be complete, the CD cover should have a sticker on it that says “File between White Lion and XYZ!”.