Any Day Now - Millennium (1999)

Canadian band Any Day Now is a joint project featuring Al Langlade of Total Stranger fame on lead vocals and Stuart Zaltz, who has performed with The Works and Wall Of Silence. The rest of the musicians perform in guest rolls, with Ian Crichton of Saga appearing, and Joe Peeres and Kevin Briggs both on Guitar.
I am a little tired of these one or two man band projects. They never sound as together as band efforts.
But this one does sound more together than most other of these projects. The sound is tight and the production pretty sharp.
Where the problem with Any Day Now lies, is that it is neither a hard rock album, nor an AOR album.
It is a solid and modern pop rock album without doubt, but in the fickle world of AOR and especially here online, I feel that it might struggle to find a suitable audience. Given the chance, after a few listens, it really does develop into a fine album, although you wil have to have an ear for modern pop/rock.
Vocalist Al Langlade puts in a compelling vocal performance that should see his reappearance in the near future, but whether it wil be on a second Any Day Now album, I am unsure.
It is really hard to categorize this record.
There is some very strong song writing in play on Any Day Now. The opening half of the record sees each track as strong as the other.
The opening track Angel is full of promise and passion and Any Day Now which is the most openly catchy song on the album and the key song to listen to for anyone wanting to get into this album. Great raspy / moody vocals.
I Live For You and Perilous Betrayal are both solid also.
Camouflaged and Deal With God are two great ballads, once again though, not your typical AOR fare.
Very well crafted and well produced and sometimes quite complex modern pop rock.
By all means check this record out.
If Stuart's previous work appeals this will also and if you are open minded enough to embrace solid modern pop rock, then there are certainly some good moments to enjoy here.