Sammy tips his hand by calling his acoustic album
Lite Roast, the very title suggesting that these low-key renditions of old tunes are designed for smooth consumption at a coffeehouse. And he's not wrong! Strumming a 12-string while accompanied by
Wabos guitarist
Vic Johnson,
Hagar approximates the kind of intimate atmosphere that can be found anywhere there's an open mike. It has to be said the Red Rocker -- who, like
Johnson, is clad all in white on the album cover -- knows how to modulate his charm, toning his inherent hamminess down a notch or ten, preferring to slyly slide into a phrase instead of singing to the rafters. If
Hagar decided not to load up the record with hits -- "Finish What Ya Started" and "Dreams" are the big ones here, although some may remember "Eagles Fly" -- that just telegraphs how this is one for the dedicated, the ones who know the source of every tune here, the ones who will enjoy how the songs are draped in a cavernous 12-string chime and supported by nimble runs from
Johnson. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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