Album review : CARE OF NIGHT – Reconnected

Frontiers [Release date : 17.11.23]

Third album from rising Swedish AOR/Melodic Rock band, Care Of Night.

Vocalist Calle Schonberg, guitarist Ostrom Berg and producer, Erik Wigelius have shifted the band’s sound up several notches.

There’s a strong and welcome resemblance to Work Of Art in places, and maybe Bro Firetribe too. ‘Street Runner’s melodic urgency, ‘Melanie’s rushing pop immediacy, and ‘Tonight’ all fit.

And despite what you may have read, Schonberg doesn’t sound anything like Steve Perry. His voice has a tougher, lived in sound, more like Lars Safsund with a shade more grit. That gravelly undertone keeps these AOR songs anchored to solid ground.

The balladic ‘No One Saves The World Alone’ is the big (huge) “climate breakdown” production number. Musically, it moves through a haze of eighties’ sonic touchstones, Chicago and Johnny Hates Jazz come readily to mind.
We can hear strains of David Foster’s commercially minded production touch.

Surprisingly, there are two more ballads on the album. The band’s copy of the AOR blueprint must have got a bit blurry at that point. You can hear why they’re here. Chest swelling ballad ‘Half Of My Heart’, pumped up by a soaring arrangement, reaches for that awesome melodic moment, and just about gets there.

And ‘You’ve Been Right Here All Along’. This is soft rock with a hard edge. It could be a Peter Cetera song. Fabulous songwriting, with a distinctive, powerful score… the Wigelius touch. Schonberg takes the fragile quality of the lyrics and amplifies the emotions.

His voice is electrifying at times. He never under-commits. Even on the rockier tracks, like ‘Follow Through’ and ‘End Of A Chapter’, every word, every line is delivered with conviction.

One to watch. ****1/2

Review by Brian McGowan

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)