Love.45 - Love.45
By Chris Stum

In a day and age when Do It Yourself albums are being released by the handful, you’d probably start wondering how all these bands do it. So many albums, so many bands, the challenge for the artist quickly becomes "How do you get your music that you’ve created into the hands of appreciative fans and industry personnel that will help you make a difference with your work?" I’ve found that many bands are happy to just have an album that they can call their own while others go out and work hard to recruit pieces to make their recording the best it can be. 

Hailing from Colorado, Love.45 has enjoyed the opportunity to work with some big names without the support of a major label. The bands latest, self titled offering (Rock Ridge) finds 3 Doors Down guitarist Chris Henderson and veteran producer/engineer Geoff Ott lending their talents to help produce a very catchy, well rounded modern rock album. Although Love.45 may not have the name of a 3 Doors Down yet, they prove that a household tag may be in the near future. Because after all, we all know that a good producer can turn coal into diamonds but only with one piece of the puzzle being in place. That puzzle piece is SONGS, and Love.45 has the material to back it all up.

Loud crunchy guitars that are dynamic, going from loud passages to quiet lullabies, smooth vocals and melody lines are a few highlights of the album, but what really caught my ear was the bands ability to create their own style throughout the album. The record begins with the fist single "Way Down." At first listen, anyone may write off the band for being another active rocker that may find it’s place for a few weeks on the charts and then be led off to a modern rock wasteland where many bands are left to be forgotten. However, as the album continues, it’s clear that we are dealing with a band who refuses to go anywhere but up.

The very next song "So Loud" finds guitarists Paul Trinidad Jr., and Mick Shivers displaying the dynamic in the music of Love.45. "So Loud" starts out with lush guitar work slowing the pace down, that is, until the chorus. When everything picks back up, you’re hit with crunchy guitar riffs, and powerful vocals from lead singer/bassist Danny Elster. The album starts to really show some life in the very next song entitled "Don’t Ask Me." Sure the song fits right into the established formula of the band, but the chorus is really where the song shines. Combining the vocals of Elster, and the powerful percussion of drummer Jim Messina, the chorus of "Don’t Ask Me" is the key that really unlocks the rest of the album. 

Songs such as "Fade" and "Smile" combine acoustic drenched verses with a wide open, rocking chorus while songs like "Come Undone" and "Over My Head" are full out, upbeat anthem’s that relate to the style of bands such as Lit and the Nixons. 

The Mick Shivers fronted "The Hey Song" and "Over My Head" finds Love.45 starting to wind the album down but both songs offer a bright chorus that is catchy and memorable. 

If "Don’t Ask Me" was the key that unlocked the album, then it’s a sure bet that the last song titled "Just Lie To Me" is the one that wraps it up. "Just Lie To Me" once again features lead vocals by guitarist Mick Shivers and rounds the album out with suburb guitar work and great sing-along lyrics with lines like "Just lie to me, I don’t need it no more."

So if DIY bands are the wave of the future, let Love.45 pave the way for everyone. By recruiting the talents of Chris Henderson and Geoff Ott, the band has created an album that sets the standard for anyone looking to do things without a major label in their corner. However, it’s clear that the songs on the album stand on their own and create a strong foundation for any producer to work with. Keep a watchful eye because with this effort, the future looks bright for Love.45.

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