Monro - Monro (1987) [Japanese Edition]

This is great British AOR LP from the 80s with an Americanized sound at places. Their songs are a mix of radio-ready AOR with a serious gilt-edged guitar sound, as evidenced from the get-go with the Fate-like opener ‘Some Girls’.
You know this lot breath quality as early on as track two – ‘Here Comes The Night’ is an absolute classic AOR track, and deserves to be listed among the finest of the genre from Britain.

Monro was formed in the spring of 1985 by four lads from the valleys and hills of South Wales. The father of the singer had been with The Squires, the group of Tom Jones. Their performance at the legendary Marquee in London, attended a couple of scouts, who were impressed by the show the band had given and their commercial sound.
In 1987 band’s debut album came out through the Japanese Alfa Records and later in Europe.

These guys were on the prowl the same time as fellow countrymen Kooga, though Monro’s style of melodic rock is much streamlined and glossy than their counterparts. In fact, it’s more North American or Scandinavian sounding than anything coming out of Britain at the time.
There are so many soundalikes here – take as example FM, Atlantic, Rio, Export, Dalton – but obviously these guys have listened to many very good artists to come up with an album of this quality.

‘Give Me Your Love Again’ is parpy keyboard driven AOR in the mould of Austrian greats Fahrenheit, then ‘It’s You’ is a reasonable attempt at a power ballad yet in a midtempo mode. ‘Lonely People’ is another fantastic effort, while the band emulate Londoners FM by casting a tribute to those ‘American Girls’ in melodic splendor.

“Monro” is a damn fine ’80s AOR album that still sounds great more than 35 years later.

Tracks:

1. Some Girls (03:32)
2. Here Comes the Night (04:59)
3. Give Me Love Again (03:54)
4. It's You (04:20)
5. Lonely People (03:33)
6. American Girls (03:34)
7. Princess (03:24)
8. Surrender (03:43)
9. Open Up Your Heart (03:37)
10. Rock This City (04:13)

Personnel:

Chris Ellis, Carl Sentace – lead vocals
Andi Turner – lead guitars, vocals
Craig Richards – rhythm guitars
Marc Bell-Jones – bass, vocals
Richard Williams – drums