Make no mistake about it: Seratones are a rock and roll band!  That said, the super-powerful vocals of lead singer, guitarist, A.J. Haynes could reside on any of the very best R&B and soul labels. It has those tonal qualities, lifted from the echos of a gospel choir; Simply astonishing to hear! Her voice is absolutely perfect as a vehicle for the ten knock-out tracks on the band’s new long-player, Power (August 2019), the band’s second long-player, and the first music to emerge since 2016′s Get Gone. In that time, personnel has changed, the focus has changed, and the result is masterful! Check out Gotta Get To Know Ya (seen/heard here).

The band’s personnel now consists of five members, A.J. Haynes, Adam Davis (bass, backup vocals), Jesse Gabriel (drums, percussion, vibraphone, backup vocals), Tyran Coker (keyboards, guitar, backup vocals), and Travis Stewart (guitar, backup vocal). All add some delicious elements to this great long player.

Now for some bad news. I always hate this, as some artists don’t get it, and I guess that is OK. Just know that when Vodka reviews any artist, it is because I like what they do, I like their music. So here we go: what Power lacks is dynamics. Yes, this is my oft-repeated loudness wars argument, everything is pushed too far up, either to the max or past it. Yes, the vocals are front and center the way they need to be, but the vocals, instruments, everything, is pushed to the max on the mix, making true dynamics suffer. You gain so much by just recording at acceptable levels and allowing the user to push the volume to where they want things to be. That doesn’t mean you have to adjust the mix, just the level. There is so much good on Power, it’s a shame that the production is so over the top. In listening back to Get Gone, it had the same problem, so it is possible that this is a conscious effort by the band, rather than an engineer’s push. Stepping off my soapbox now.

You can find more information on Seratones by heading up to their website, or pick up their music from bandcamp.com or amazon.com. Pick up some great rock and roll by purchasing Seratones now!