Sweet James
Between Now And Never

Review by Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
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  Justin, Bret, Andre and Paul are Sweet James, a melodic rock-pop band based out of Southern California. They have an effective formula that is dependent upon each other to provide fluent songwriting and accomplished musicianship. Each group member contributes in equal measure, and that is the very reason why functioning as a unit works so well. 

Their new release is titled ...between now and never.... and it is chock full of themes of love and life which are accentuated by both soft acoustic guitars and power chords that will all at once relieve, excite, and in the end…inspire you to play it all again. Their intoxicating musical mixture is like attending a class in pop and rock 101. They weave a spell that will have you mesmerized from the opening chords of the title track straight through until the last few seconds click off the CD. 

The vocals chores, suitably handled by three of the four members, are so sweetly engaging that it seems only appropriate that the name of the group refers to the word sweet in some way. This is the kind of music that will remind you of the fact that your heart is still beating with warm blood pumping through your veins, ever reminding you of your humanity. The significance of their lyrics coupled with the music makes for a passionate display of musical clout that rings in your ears long after the CD stops spinning. If you can appreciate good old-fashioned rock 'n' roll energy with a modern slant, check out Sweet James.

Enjoyment: 90

Sound Quality: 100