For the true, long time INXS fans watching the reality show Rock star INXS earlier this year, it has been a harrowing journey as we watched the band pick their new singer via the televised international reality talent show. It was never shown on television exactly how they came to choose the final 15 contenders but I, for one, was really concerned with the short listed applicants.
From the few contenders, none of them seemed to come close to the charisma and talent of the late Michael Hutchence. The eventual winner and therefore new INXS singer, debuting on this latest INXS CD, Switch, J.D. Fortune was actually one of the worst performers early in the rounds and became the contestant that we loved to hate. Watching the behind the scenes footage it was clear that he was incredibly sneaky and manipulative, but luckily for him, he always seemed to come out on top at the end of the day.
As a former Elvis impersonator, it must be said that JD also does a great Michael Hutchence. From the opening track Devil’s Party, it becomes obvious what the band saw in their new singer. Right away this sounds like classic INXS. The second track keeps up the momentum with the incredibly catchy first single, Pretty Vegas but then the brakes kick in with a poorly placed ballad, Afterglow. Although this is a great track, it doesn’t help with the flow of the album at all.
From here, the album contains a mixed bag of tracks written by various band members and collaborators (thanks to the end of the great Hutchence/Farriss partnership). Some of these new songs work really well and some have their questionable elements (mostly in the lyric department) but overall, the INXS feel is pretty prevalent throughout and this album does actually fit in with the band’s back catalogue quite nicely. As far as stand-out tracks are concerned, Pretty Vegas is the only track that grabbed my attention straight away, but the more I listened, the more the other songs seemed to vie equally for my attention. Like many of INXS’ later albums, the album as a whole slowly grows on you rather than sounding like a collection of possible hit singles.
It will be very interesting to see where the band goes from here. Once the exposure from the reality TV series is forgotten and JD finds his own voice, INXS will really be under pressure to prove themselves once again as a band with true staying power.
