'Rock & Roll as Habit & Lifestyle......... & Still standing' is the motto of French rock 'n' roll band Mavalour who sound to these well weathered ears of Cry Of Love during their debut album era.

Now I like my boogie rock but there is something missing from this, the band's 2nd full album release, 'Election Smile' and after listening to the album 6-7 times it slapped me in the face - it's called a spark!

As it stands the album is a very confident piece of work, but like most bands of this genre it's missing a certain little something. Second track 'One And Lonely' is a great song but merely walks out of the speakers rather than blowing them up! 'Price I Pay' kicks in with a Bad Company kinda groove riff and continues into a mid-paced rocker which in a live setting would go down great, especially in a sweaty club scenario - however, on record it's just there.

I know this may sound/read like a negative review but seriously it is not; the songs are there but there's no urgency to the recordings. So, in fact, this is a very neutral review and if awarding stars I would give this a 6 and a half out of 10. Mavalour are the kind of band I would really like in a live setting. So here's to the future and hoping that they venture over the sea and prove me wrong!

www.myspace.com/mavalour