John Waite - Anything

by Kevin Wierzbicki

Waite is the voice behind numerous hits by the Babys, "When I See You Smile" by Bad English and solo gems like "Change" and "Missing You" and now he's back on the scene with a brand new solo EP called Anything. The EP opens with the title cut and "Anything" is a tender, mid-tempo declaration of undying love set to a light rock melody and with a chorus that is the song's main hook. The song is an example of how Waite is adept at tugging at the heartstrings. Fans might initially mistake "Lifeguard" for a cover of "Sweet Jane" as there are definite similarities in the melody and rhythm to be heard throughout and especially in the intro, but it is in fact an original and another love song, complete with honeyed slide guitar parts. The tide has turned on "Grenadine" as Waite sings about a relationship gone bad; appropriately the cut is slow and blues-tinged. "Darling" is the album's angst-filled rocker, a hook-filled cut about an attractive but wild teen coming of age and the lust and misery she causes. The cut has an extended outro with dueling guitars and likely will be the cut that rock radio is most interested in.

Rating: