Made in California
Johnny Lima
(Frontiers)

A mixed bag of tricks from young Mr Lima. There are several damn good tracks on this full-length, but some of it is lame in extremis. To be honest, there is enough here for a great EP, but only an average CD. The fact he felt the need to add a piss poor cover of the Beatles 'Help' speaks volumes. 'Best Night of My Life' is pure AOR/Jovi-esque glory, and is catchy the first time out, ditto 'Go On, Go Away' and 'Love Ain't Enough'. 'Something about you' is a decent ballad with some great acoustic guitar as an intro. Johnny's whiney voice is certainly not for everyone; he certainly is easier to take when he is not emoting. There are lots of 80s pop keyboards flowing through here. At times, he comes across as a bit of Enuff Znuff clone. It's just a shame that there are filler tracks on here, some of which have a nasty after-taste.

Rating: 3/5