What with having the number one tennis player, World and European football champions and of course El Cid (R.I.P.) and Enrique and Julio Igithingy, Spain is where it's at and straight outta Barcelona comes handsome melodic rock 'n' rollers Guru, formed fairly recently, in terms of the history of AOR or whatever you wanna call it, in 2007.

Funky guitar, horn sections, keyboards and eventually vocals, I'm talking about track uno, 'Addictive Love'. Quite a smooth production and silky vocals courtesy of Pau Sastre and plenty of twiddly twiddly for the softer type of guitar fanatics. 'Sometimes' is lifted straight from AOR Heaven 101 but still decently crafted, even if just a tad over-produced.

'Flavour Of Desire' must have Dan Reed's lawyers clambering over this particular composition, only joking of course; a great middle eight though and that production from the hands of Sastre and lead guitarist David Palau who also happened to mix the whole shebang, talented young hombres indeed.

At the live shows I assume this is the point where everybody holds their lighters or digital cameras (if you don't smoke) in the air for the expected balladry of 'Staring At Your Door' -  yeah, yeah, yeah, heard it before a million and one times thank you.

Maybe the slightest of a Dan Reed influence seems to crop up yet again on 'I Just Can't Get Away', a funky laid back Vai-ish guitar driven tune with some neat synth but for me the song goes nowhere fast. 'No More Time' has some chugging softly manufactured riffs over an almost hidden bassline and, with no really drum sound to speak of, the track just plods on, saying that the vocals do remain solid throughout.

I still see the appeal this could have for the AOR frat out there in Uber World so make your own mind up, but not for me...Adios Amigos.

www.gururockband.com

http://www.myspace.com/guruofficial