NIGEL DUPREE BAND

If you think you've got a pretty good idea about what a band led by the son of JACKYL's Jesse James Dupree might sound like, listen to "Attraction" and you'll find yourself to be absolutely right. It's probably the same idea the rest of us had. The debut album from the NIGEL DUPREE BAND is straight forward hard rock/metal that is stripped down, ballsy, and a little bluesy, as well as occasionally generic. It is also available only as a digital download.

It is no surprise that '80s hair metal plays a part in the sound of "Attraction", primarily due to the ashamed party spirit of it all, rather than the overly produced, singles-driven end of the spectrum. More generally though, for every moment that reminds of the grittier side of MÖTLEY CRÜE you can hear even more of the ballsy American rock/metal style of a band like JACKYL. Essentially, Dupree and company keep it simple, writing mid-tempo numbers in a conventional format and keeping things very guitar-driven and decidedly uncluttered. There is nothing that screams "classic", yet there are at least a handful of strong rockers, such as highlight "Rock and Roll", the strut 'n gang shouts of "Sexy Little Thing", and the semi-glammy "Late Night Girl". The riffs and solos are more than acceptable in most cases and Dupree's voice is like a cross between Vince Neil and that of his father's, generally speaking anyway.

There isn't a great deal of song variety here and the pace pretty much stays a middle course, neither of which is a huge problem, but does keep the flames from rising very high. A couple of tracks, such as "Too Hot too Handle" (unfortunately, not a cover of the UFO song) and "Love Machine" (the chorus is a little stodgy) are middling at best, yet nothing descends further than mediocre. I'm feeling that there is more boogie inside Nigel than he lets on with "Attraction" though and once that beast is unleashed, the staying power of his band's music should significantly increase.