In 2016 Noely Rayn made their first huge step as they released their debut album which was comprised of original material after a decade of being a tribute band under the name of Remember Lizzy. The first strike hit the mark and those songs were on constant rotation on my CD player for a long time. Especially the tracks “Dazzling Eyes” and “Remember Our Midnight” are rightfully considered two of the finest samples of melodic rock sound ever released by a Greek band.
Fast Forward three years and Noely Rayn is back with its sophomore effort appropriately entitled “Perfect is not Enough”. The first single “Try To Survive” not only created a buzz and made us expecting something really great but left you under the impression that the guys were bound to surpass their debut album. And truth be told here; this was exactly the case! With a more modern and well-crafted production and a sonic crossroad where the melodic rock genre meets a disco rock/AOR aesthetic of the late 70s, Noely Rayn reach for the sky and fully embrace the album title!
“Broken Windows” reminds of the classic Survivor era and brings forth the best performance by singer Michael Dandoulakis, “Waiting” is truly an homage to Eric Clapton while “Waiting” includes some of the finest guitar licks on the album are some of the highlights of a record that closes with the majestic prog anthem “Bitter Truth”. It would be a mishap if I didn’t point down that drummer Akis Gavalas is absolutely flawless behind his kit.
All in all, I’d say that “Perfect is not Enough” is definitely one of the best albums of 2019. Personally, I believe that time will show that it is a worthy successor of “Escape From Yesterday”. Nevertheless, we are eagerly waiting to catch the band live on stage and listen to the new tracks. Congrats!
Highlight: “Try To Survive is easily the sister song of the now classic “Dazzling Eyes”.
