FM's 'Old Habits Die Hard' - Album Review

In my previous album review on this blog I noted how, in recent years, there have been a lot of strong albums released by veteran acts - particularly in the metal genre. I also noted that there have been a good number of such released already this year, but it is not just in metal where a lot of old hands have been doing what they do best - as the British melodic rock/AOR legends FM have also been busy, and released their fourteenth studio album Old Habits Die Hard earlier this month. In recent years, though, a new album from FM has not exactly been a rarity. Nine of their 14 albums have been released since their 2007 reunion, meaning that long-time fans of the band have had plenty of excellent new material to enjoy in this second era of the five-piece - which has also seen the band largely keep a consistent line-up together and tour pretty significantly. Alongside releasing Old Habits Die Hard, 2024 is also a landmark year for FM - as the band are celebrating their 40th anniversary. Despite being dormant between 1995 and 2007, FM have packed a lot of music and touring since forming from the ashes of Wildlife back in 1984 - and they are one of those bands whom I tend to see at least once a year as they often come around either on their own or as part of a package tour with other similar bands. Funnily enough I will be seeing them live again this coming weekend, as they are currently undertaking a pretty lengthy UK tour to celebrate the aforementioned milestone - and they have also toured in South America recently and have plenty of other European dates to follow. They are really pushing the boat out this year as far as touring goes - but it is great that they have also found time to release some new music, with Old Habits Die Hard following two years on from 2022's strong Thirteen (which I reviewed here). In truth, though, everything that FM have ever put out could be described as strong. Whilst the band's first two albums: 1986's Indiscreet and 1989's Tough It Out; will always be considered their classic releases - everything which has followed has been very enjoyable, with some of their more recent albums likely better than some of the others released during their original run. Thirteen perhaps was not as strong as some of the other recent releases, but it still contained its fair share of modern classics - and Old Habits Die Hard is much the same. One thing that I have noticed about the band's last few albums is that they have drifted back to a much sweeter, poppier sound again following a few tougher-sounding releases. The albums released between 2010's Metropolis and 2018's Atomic Generation (which I reviewed here) had a Bad Company-esque bluesiness to them - but from 2020's Synchronized (which I also reviewed here) onward the band's material has felt more overtly AOR again. The difference was never that stark, but it is interesting none-the-less - with keyboard player Jem Davis really coming into his own more recently given the somewhat pairing back of the bluesy guitar riffing which was given more prominence previously. Old Habits Die Hard continues on this trend and delivers another fun collection of melodic gems just in time for the improving summer weather.

The album kicks off with its two lead singles, both of which shine a light on the band's core melodic sound and exemplify the recent return to a much more keyboard-heavy sound. Much of the album is bright and hooky and that sound is established from the off thanks to Out of the Blue. The song opens with a hard-hitting drum groove from Pete Jupp, over which Mervyn Goldsworthy's pulsing bass and some synths create a pseudo-yacht rock foundation - but a more AOR-esque sheen is soon added thanks to some melodic guitar leads from Jim Kirkpatrick. Despite these leads, though, the whole song is floaty and smooth. Yacht rock is not a bad way to describe the song's overall vibe - even if frontman Steve Overland's vocals are much more powerful and hard rocking than those typical of that genre. Occasional harmony vocals and a spacious chorus reinforce that yachty feel - but there is enough punch from the drums to keep a more anthemic groove ticking. The floaty synth melodies really tend to dominate, though, with the guitars pushed into the background. There is less of a hard rock feel than is typical of FM's sound here, then, but there is still plenty for Kirkpatrick to do thanks to a tasty solo part way through - and the closing section of the track also features some busy lead playing. The song very much feels like FM thanks to the punch of the drums and the unmistakable vocals and melodies from Overland - but I do quite like how smooth this opening cut is as it brings something somewhat different to the table. Don't Need Another Heartache is much more traditional, though, with the guitars returned to their rightful place. The opening moments of the song are already more muscular thanks to some strong riffing and a few cutting leads - whilst Davis tends to use more organic keyboard textures this time, with organ backing the sparser verses. The song ticks, though, due to the rhythm section's groove. Goldsworthy and Jupp always give each FM song energy - and they are generally why the band pack such a punch. This song features a stark drum groove throughout - but Kirkpatrick's riffing is also pretty rocking in spots, whilst some dual guitar leads later on hark back to the 1970s classic rock era. The chorus here is perhaps not as immediately fun as the one from the previous song, but the mid-paced, melodic section is very typical of choruses found on the band's other recent albums. It sticks in the brain as a result and the track is another strong effort.

No Easy Way Out, sound-wise, feels like a more obvious throwback to the band's first two albums. The drum sound is a little tempered here, giving the song more of an 1980s feel, whilst the subtle guitar chugs and melodies throughout mimic tropes which the band relied on back in the day. Driving piano chords and shimmering keyboards add depth, but generally this is a piece which feels less focused on riffs and musical motifs - with all of the attention instead on Overland. Considering that FM have been in the business for 40 years at this point, Overland still essentially sounds the same as he did in the 1980s. He has really looked after his voice over the years and he gives it his all during this track - with the subtle chorus vocal harmonies sounding like a long-lost cut from their early days. A tasty guitar solo adds some further melodic hooks later on, but this is a song that really belongs to Overland - with his easy-on-the-ear vocal approach and breezy hooks shining as ever. Lost feels tougher from the off and the track is a return to the more riff-based approach of the early part of the band's reunion. It is much more guitar-driven than anything on the album up to this point, with Kirkpatrick's cutting, bluesy riff driving everything - with a simplified version of it even backing what is still a pretty atmospheric verse. That aforementioned Bad Company influence can be heard here, particularly during the more full-on rock moments, whilst slower moments are more keyboard-heavy to allow for the band's smoothness to shine through. A mixture of organ and synth sounds ensure that the keyboard tones are varied, but this is a track which focuses heavily on guitar playing - with chiming clean melodies joining in from the second verse onward to add to the bluesy riffing. The chorus is another strong one, too, thanks to the main riff filling itself out again - and it should also be no surprise that the song's guitar solo is longer and busier than many of the others here. Whatever It Takes treads a much more anthemic path and the song is pure AOR - with a few more glances back to the past. Whilst perhaps not as weighty as some of the band's more anthemic pieces, as far as pure Foreigner-esque melodic rock goes it is a great example of the sound which brought the band some fame in the 1980s. The opening moments, which also form the basis of the chorus, mix crunchy power chords with a keyboard hook - whilst flashy synth stabs and guitar leads form the majority of the linking moments between each part of the song. The verses are that aforementioned mix of cleaner guitar melodies and chugs which was featured so often on the band's early albums - whilst the harder rocking call-and-response chorus features Overland really letting rip whilst the rest of the band add tight harmonies. Due to its focus on hooks it was one of the first songs on the album which really jumped out at me on my first couple of listens. Throw in a really well crafted guitar solo and the song sums up pretty much everything I love about FM - and this is the sort of song that I really look forward to on each new album.

Black Water goes for a bit of a different approach, taking a somewhat slower, groovier path with big ringing guitar chords and organic keyboards setting a bluesy bed for Overland's smooth vocals. It is not a particularly heavy song, but the verses here feel murkier than is typical - before a much more melodic chorus, complete with some excellent piano runs, explodes out of the darkness. The strut of the verses works well, though, with Kirkpatrick throwing in some cutting bluesy leads when appropriate - whilst Goldsworthy's bass is high in the mix to allow his busy playing to dominate. Whilst the song is not a southern rock piece, there is clearly a bit of an influence of such here - at least in the verses, as the chorus is much more typical of the band's sound. The experiment works for me, though, and the song is an unexpected highlight. Cut Me Loose sees the band back on familiar ground, though, thanks to a bright drum pattern and a mid-paced guitar riff setting the early pace. The song is not as riffy as the intro suggests, though, as the verse then proceeds with a strong keyboard backing and some funky guitar rhythms - before it morphs into a much more strident and anthemic rocker with a foot-stomping pre-chorus and a stadium-ready chorus with lots of big harmony vocals. FM have written plenty of songs like this over the years, but the formula never really seems to get boring. It helps, too, that Overland is still one of the best singers in the genre. All of the songs here feature him at his best - but this one pushes him more to the fore thanks to how anthemic it is, and he really sells what is another excellent chorus. Leap of Faith at first slows things down quite considerably, with a delicate acoustic guitar and keyboard intro, but any pretence of the song being a ballad is soon pushed away when a pretty bluesy rock riff kicks in with a strong organ backing. The song then proceeds to become a pretty up-tempo hard rocker. Whilst not as tough-sounding as some of the band's previous albums, there is still a strong Bon Jovi-esque feel throughout - with a snaking guitar riff backing the verses whilst Overland adopts a slightly grittier vocal tone. The chorus is a bit brighter, but there is still a bit more weight thanks to Kirkpatrick's riffing again - which remains in situ behind the vocal hooks. The ever-present guitar riffing and the occasional organ stabs make this song what it is - and the riffier nature of the track is welcome given the stadium-ready cut which preceded it.

California is a return to a much more overt AOR sound, albeit with a slightly grittier guitar approach than some of the band's smoother cuts tend to have. The verses have a bit more of a slashing sound, then, thanks to this guitar tone - whilst piano and keyboards ensure that an overall smoothness is still present. This guitar tone is changed for the chorus, though, and goes for a more cutting lead-based approach - with guitar leads sitting nicely below Overland's anthemic vocal hooks. The chorus is another good one, but it perhaps suffers a little from not being as strong as some of the others here. It does not quite jump out of the speakers as expected - but it still memorable thanks to another excellent vocal delivery. Another Day in My World goes for a bit more of an expansive sound. It is surprising that there are no ballads on this album, as FM usually throw in at least one, but this is probably the slowest and most emotional piece here - although it is still pretty groovy overall. The band have opted for a more cinematic sound, though, with a big guitar and keyboard tapestry creating a melodic and sweeping sound - whilst slow-burning piano-led sections join the dots. Given the overall space in the mix and the fat bass grooves, there is plenty of space here for Overland's voice to shine. The verses in particular see him really operating as his most smooth, whilst the bass pounds away behind him, with the chorus going for some subtle vocal harmonies to create a bigger sound befitting the cinematic approach taken. The album then comes to a close with the more up-tempo Blue Sky Mind - which has a bit of a strange sound overall thanks to a repeated guitar refrain which really reminds me of the main guitar hook in Status Quo's Down Down. Unfortunately, now I have identified that connection it is all I can hear when it listen to the song - and it gives the track an uncharacteristic boogie vibe for FM. When the guitar lead recedes the track is pretty typical for FM, with another big, synth-backed chorus giving Overland plenty to play with - but then that guitar lead kicks back in and it sounds like Francis Rossi has joined in. The song is a fun, faster-paced track which helps to end the album on an energetic note - it is just a shame that I cannot disassociate the track with another song as it stops me from being album to enjoy it fully. Despite that, though, Old Habits Die Hard is still another excellent release from FM. There are plenty of real earworms here and it is the sort of album which could be put on at any time and enjoyed. It is an easy and enjoyable listen, then, and it is great seeing the band sounding so vital 40 years deep.

The album was released on 3rd May 2024 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Out of the Blue.