Dion Bayman - Better Days (Art of Melody)

Aussie AORster Dion Bayman is carving a niche for himself in the melodic rock scene down under, although, on the evidence presented by the man on his fourth full-length offering, Better Days, a promotion to the world league might be a little way off yet.

Don’t get me wrong – the man knows his way around a radio rocker alright – but his voice is just too polite to do full justice to the songs, some of which really aren’t bad at all.

Consequently, when he should be looking forward to a career being mentioned in the same breath as Stan Bush – and yes, songs like The Best Times of My Life really do warrant such comparisons – Bayman will sadly probably be consigned to rock’s ‘almost were’ history books alongside the likes of Shannon Noll.

It’s not his fault of course – you play with the cards you’re dealt – but the likes of power ballad Leap of Faith really do cry out for a ‘classic’ AOR voice to get their point across. In his press biography, Bayman drops names like Bryan Adams as being influential, and the gravel-throated Canuck really would have turned this track into a stadium-levelling leviathan in his day. But in reality, the Rooty Hill RSL is probably the most august venue this song will threaten the foundations of. Similarly, the excellent rocker Pieces would be transformed from merely great to bloody marvellous with a tougher voice – say House of Lords’ James Christian – behind the mic…

There are at least six really decent tunes here, played well and sung to the best of Bayman’s ability. In an ideal world, the man’s publishers would be getting his songs placed with more suitable voices – he certainly deserves to profit in some way from his obviously considerable talent.