Hey Romeo is an Albertan band that only recently had a lot of success, despite having been together since 2002. They won Group of the Year at the 2012 Canadian Country Music Awards for the second year in a row, beating out other great acts such as Doc Walker, Emerson Drive and High Valley.
Twist of Fate is their third album and features Stacie Roper on lead vocals, Darren Gusnowsky on guitar and vocals and Rob Shapiro on keyboards and vocals. The album was recorded in both Nashville and Calgary.
The band members wrote all of the songs, with other co-writers. Carolyn Dawn Johnson co-wrote “If I Could Fly,” “Outlove You” and “Twist of Fate.”
Twist of Fate is contemporary country through and through — pleasant vocals, a mix of electric and acoustic guitars and songs about loving and leaving. The band has a delightful harmony and the songs are easy to listen to. Only one song is longer than four minutes, making it a nice change from albums that seem to go on and on.
“If I Could Fly” deals with the loss of a loved one by wishing for wings to fly up to heaven, and is the most serious song on the album.
“Night Out With The Girls” could be a rallying cry for the 40-something women crowd. It’s a conservative song, and personally I considered it the most annoying on the album. On the other hand, “It’s A House” — a song about a young couple starting out in the world — was my favourite because of its lyrics and melody.
Overall, this is a simple, feel-good country album. Fans of Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Martina McBride would do themselves a favour by checking it out. Hey Romeo has yet to really impress me though, maybe because I’m looking for something deeper or more meaningful from them.