Vain
All Those Strangers

April 2010
Released: 2010, Music Buy Mail
Rating: 3.0/5
Reviewer: JP

What a nice treat. I knew that this album had been recorded almost 20 years ago and had sat in a vault somewhere. As an old glam fan I really enjoyed Vain the first time around back in the late 80s. Luckily for the few fans who might recall the band, the album ALL THOSE STRANGERS finally sees the light of day. And what a glorious day it is! There is nothing like enjoying a record you have wanted to hear for years!



Vain were latecomers to the larger public consciousness in the glam era and had a very well-received debut in 1989. Some even consider the debut legendary! I really enjoyed it as well, but the band somewhat imploded, money, labels etc (the same old story) but Davy Vain kept the flame burning albeit dimly. With half a dozen albums over 20 years, they refused (thankfully) to call it quits!



The primary draw of this release besides the nostalgia is the unique and interesting vocal delivery of Davy Vain. His smooth, breathy vibrato is instantly recognizable and his singing style put him ahead of many of his contemporaries. Musically, this style of Melodic Hard Rock, Sleaze, Glam, whatever ya wanna call it, has never gone away and Davy Vain and this album come across as a bit of the elder statesmen of the much maligned genre.



The highlight for me is the track ’Here Comes Lonely’, slow with an infectious gang-chorus, the closet thing you get to a ballad on the album. 'Freak Flag' is lots of fun as well. I’m glad this hidden treasure has finally seen the light of day. A great buy for original fans of the band and well worth checking out if you enjoy digging deep into the past of that era. The band is on a roll and I’m sure this long-lost album will impress old fans and newcomers alike.