Bernie Journey - The World In The Eye Of The Beholder
2008, J2 Records
Cleveland native and current New York City resident Bernie Journey is a puts himself out there as a George Michael clone doing the sort of dance pop that bridges the gap between pop music and Electronica. The brand of innocuous electronic dance pop that was popular in the late 1980's and early 1990's is what Bernie Journey does best. His second album, The World In The Eye Of The Beholder will be released on January 27, 2009, and is likely to appeal to fans of George Michael and fans of the era of dance pop he's most associated with.
Journey makes every effort to sound like George Michael, from vocal affect and tone down to the style of music presented on The World In The Eye Of The Beholder. Unfortunately for Journey, he just can't carry the shoes of George Michael. I'm not exactly what you'd call a George Michael fan but I respect his talent for catchy pop songs and his ability to deliver them. Bernie Journey is a competent vocalist with a voice that almost lends itself more to pop Bowie comparisons than Michael. The music is campy and upbeat; enjoyable but unlikely to make significant commercial impact in the current business environment. Highlights include A Song For Hope Everlasting, A Better Life and Everything, although I think Journey is at his most musically compelling in jazz oriented pieces such as Just A Dream.
The World In The Eye Of The Beholder is one of those albums that will find favor with a small niche of listeners, and it may qualify as a guilty pleasure for a handful more. There are a handful of compelling songs here, but much of the album is fluff packaged for a dance crowd that isn't really there anymore. Journey is a good vocalist, but can't live up to the hype about him being someone else (Michael). In the end he's good enough as himself, but he just doesn't stand out from the crowd.
Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about Bernie Journey at http://www.berniejourney.com/. You can order The World In The Eye Of The Beholder through Amazon.com.
2008, J2 Records
Cleveland native and current New York City resident Bernie Journey is a puts himself out there as a George Michael clone doing the sort of dance pop that bridges the gap between pop music and Electronica. The brand of innocuous electronic dance pop that was popular in the late 1980's and early 1990's is what Bernie Journey does best. His second album, The World In The Eye Of The Beholder will be released on January 27, 2009, and is likely to appeal to fans of George Michael and fans of the era of dance pop he's most associated with.
Journey makes every effort to sound like George Michael, from vocal affect and tone down to the style of music presented on The World In The Eye Of The Beholder. Unfortunately for Journey, he just can't carry the shoes of George Michael. I'm not exactly what you'd call a George Michael fan but I respect his talent for catchy pop songs and his ability to deliver them. Bernie Journey is a competent vocalist with a voice that almost lends itself more to pop Bowie comparisons than Michael. The music is campy and upbeat; enjoyable but unlikely to make significant commercial impact in the current business environment. Highlights include A Song For Hope Everlasting, A Better Life and Everything, although I think Journey is at his most musically compelling in jazz oriented pieces such as Just A Dream.
The World In The Eye Of The Beholder is one of those albums that will find favor with a small niche of listeners, and it may qualify as a guilty pleasure for a handful more. There are a handful of compelling songs here, but much of the album is fluff packaged for a dance crowd that isn't really there anymore. Journey is a good vocalist, but can't live up to the hype about him being someone else (Michael). In the end he's good enough as himself, but he just doesn't stand out from the crowd.
Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about Bernie Journey at http://www.berniejourney.com/. You can order The World In The Eye Of The Beholder through Amazon.com.
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