Album review: CITY OF LIGHTS – Before The Sun Sets

February 11th, 2022 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date: 11.02.22]

Debut album from City Of Lights – Brit guitarist/writer Neil Austin and Greek vocalist Manos Fatsis (Hideaway). They are joined in the studio by members of Creye, Degreed and Art Nation.

It’s clear that a passionate love of the AOR genre drives the combatants. They pour themselves fully into every groove. But often it’s just too generic, despite the passionate performances.

One look at the song titles tells you a lot…’Hearts On Fire’. ‘Heart On The Line’, ‘Give Back My Heart’… we’re not looking at Pulitzer Prize winners here.

Yes, ok, the music’s not designed to win literary prizes, but it’s a good example of how playing it by the blueprint, especially in the post rock age, can become a musical straitjacket.

Strong songs ‘Dying Light’ and ‘Joanna’ seem handicapped by the limitations of the arrangements, force fitted into an eighties’s AOR template.

Where it breaks through the surface gloss, as on ‘Racing On The Redline’, a decent chorus and hook are illuminated by finger blistering fretwork, and again on ‘Emily’s tuneful if lightweight AOR (reminiscent of ace Christian Rock band, Idle Cure) you hear a band firmly plugged into the history of the genre.

Perhaps if they had thrown a handful of grit into the mix, a few more songs, like ‘Heat Of The Night’ and ‘Snake Eyes’ might also have broken through the production’s shiny veneer.

For the most part then, it’s good 80′s AOR pastiche, and will go down well with genre fans. But perhaps just when we’re looking for that bit more, there’s less there than meets the eye. ***

Review by Brian McGowan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)