Challenge are the Los Angeles-based duo Allison Lindsay and Arno Verstappen. Allison is a blonde Californian babe with a tremendous voice while Dutchman Arno, who looks not unlike Journey's Steve Perry, plays acoustic guitar. On their debut album Acoustic Universe, they are helped out by a quartet of "additional players" - Fernand Bos on bass, Toss Panos on drums and percussion, Ronna Cohen on keyboards and Wayne Cook on grand piano and Hammond B3. All of the songs are composed by Arno who wrote all the lyrics except for Words, Wake Into Daylight and Finding My Way which he co-wrote with Allison.
The album opens with the sultry beauty of Words. Allison's vocals are soulful and countered by Arno's understated guitar and Ronna's keyboards. This sets up the mood for the album, great melody lines built around effective instrumentation. Angel's Scared To Fly is more powerful with a great chorus. This is not a dull AOR album, Allison adds much more to the songs that are not challenging (regardless of the band's name!) but gloriously flowing and smooth. I am reminded of the Wilson sisters in their less hard rock moods.
Finding My Way fairly bounces along. The lyric is the first of two songs where Allison is stating her position: "Finding my way to the light of day, Finding my way to do more than pray". The mood continues in It's My Life . This is a much stronger song with Allison belting out the chorus. Some nice lyrics too, the song works along the "You think my music will never make a dime" theme. But I particularly like the line: "It's a gamble, I know I can't be sure, but your real job, It ain't much more secure." Arno really lets loose on the acoustic guitar - now that's something you don't find me writing too often!
When Love Finds A Fool is a more moody composition. Allison's vocals are set over a neat bass line which gives the song its rather funky tempo. The rest of the instrumentation is more understated to give the vocals the spotlight. Nice chorus too. Wake Into Daylight is more up-beat; the lyrics are a more positive look at life in LA, "Saw a guy jump of a bridge last night, Saw another rob a kid with a knife." Sounds great, can't wait for the next plane in...
How Does It Feel is another soulful ballad with Allison's vocals at their best. Here the interlay between acoustic guitar and voice is especially effective, Wayne's piano is a nice touch too giving more strength to the song. This is probably my favorite track on the album, although there is quite some competition! The Voice Of Freedom is another powerful song with Allison's vocals very much at the forefront. The Hammond is a nice touch, while Arno has another effective acoustic solo.
I'll Fight For You opens very reminiscently of the unplugged version of Layla. With this, I was struck by the revelation, this whole album has a very unplugged feel to it. The power of the songs are not bound up in scorching guitar solos or over-produced vocal harmonies, nor is the strength in the simple vocal arrangements, and the way the instruments accompany the melody lines. Showcase the songs, and the strength comes shining through.
The album closes with another strong song - there are so many on this album - Don't Look Back. Boston fans will be pleased to know that this isn't a cover version; rather it is a very effective song which shows Challenge at their most rocky. With a different production, a twin-led electric guitar front line and banks of keyboard maybe, this could be a pomp rock classic. Of course Challenge don't do pomp, at least not on this album. Instead you have lashings of Hammond and acoustic guitar accompanying Allison as she belts out the lyrics. And it doesn't lack for anything - and leaves you waiting to start the album all over again.
This album really does showcase Challenge to their best effect. To be honest, the songs are strong enough that I imagine they would sound almost as good with just Allison's voice and Arno's acoustic. This album was a deliberate "back to basics" attempt to remove all the extraneous instrumentation and let the listening public hear exactly what Challenge are all about. I mentioned it several times - strong compositions, great voice and neat acoustic guitar - that is Challenge!
This album falls into the AOR category; lite rock with hints of soul and pop. Too be honest, I wouldn't be surprised to see Challenge snatched up by some major multinational label, and the re-mixed versions of these songs (probably with scorching guitar solos or over-produced vocal harmonies) appearing on MTV. But they would deserve it, "Acoustic Universe" is a very strong and impressively produced collection of songs.
Challenge (OO-112) is released on Splash International Records . For more information contact ALV Music, which I assume to be an Abba-like acronym of the band members' initials, at P.O. Box 36755, Los Angeles, CA 90036, USA; e-mail: challenge@earthlink.net, or check out the band's website at http://home.earthlink.net/~challenge.