On their sophomore album Light In Motion, Los Angeles-based The Ruse flex their rock and roll muscles, but only manage to get the bar halfway up. Singer John Dauer has presence and heart and his voice elevates numbers like “Everything Comes With A Price� or the U2-conjuring “Swallow You� to respectable pop heights, but for the ten numbers here, it’s never quite enough. It’s a pity, because Dauer’s bandmates are also solid musicians and the band does have an admirable sonic unity, but the problem is in the songs themselves. Not daring to disturb the pop universe, Light In Motion is bogged down by run-of-the mill numbers that start promising enough, but end up going nowhere. “All I’ve Done� is a tepid mid-tempo rocker; “Alone� is lyrically banal, and “Goodbye�-- though it features guitarist Jim Bilus at his best--manages only to chase itself in a circle. All of this is not to suggest, however, that Light In Motion spells doom for the band because it doesn’t; it’s simply a case of getting the difficult sophomore album out of the way and moving on. The Ruse are a respectable band with a discernible musical sensibility and this is nothing more than a slight misstep. In fact, the bright spot comes on “Hold Tight� the loose and breezy album closer, where Dauer and the band relax a bit and showcase their charming versatility. They’ll be back.
(Release date: February 26, 2006)
