It was
Golden Earring-frontman
Barry Hay who once advised a club of young rockers from Nijmegen to name their band Navarone. A tough name for a tough band that managed to surprise with their tight rock sound at television performances, among others. In doing so, singer Merijn van Haren introduced them as a young
Paul Rogers or
Robert Plant. Meanwhile, Navarone is on their fifth album. They are a
… household name in the Netherlands, but there has been no real breakthrough yet. Whether V will force this one is the question, although this time the group is doing everything they can to sound accessible and hit-sensitive. They shifted to a kind of emo-pop, with a leading role for the carried recitation of Van Haren whose high voice is more likely to be joined by meandering piano playing than rocking guitars. At the same time, his emotional bore doesn't really want to arrive because of the polished production. It is to be hoped that they will tap into a new large audience with V because with this gloopy pop album they alienate themselves from their fans. (MR)more
