Frontiers [Release date : 12.07.24]
Michael Palace has long since proved that his classy debut, Master Of The Universe, was too good to be a fluke.
On Reckless Heart, his fifth album, he continues to display his considerable gifts as a song craftsman and studio technician. He has an obsessive’s eye for fine textural detail, knowing that focusing on the small stuff can create the greatest impact.
The danger of course is that you lose sight of the big picture.
Palace walks that fine line all the way through Reckless Heart. It’s a balancing act… lean into something too hard and you go over the side.
More soft rock than AOR, Palace’s new material tracks back to artists like Kenny Loggins, Richard Marx and the Alessi Brothers. Even a bit of Steely Dan influence sneaks into the title track.
At his best here, the material just crackles with kinetic energy, full of measured riffs and sturdy hooks, sprinkled with rich harmonies.
‘Reckless Heart’, the title track opener brings together a mix of romantic lyrics and rhythmic soft rock. As does ‘Widows Web’, mainlining us into a world of dancefloor romances and dangerous liaisons (see cover).
Where ‘One Way’ and ‘Weightless’ blur the line between timeless soft rock and revivalism, ‘Girl Is An Angel’ and ‘Back to 85’ mix Glen Frey styled primary colours with the stacked choruses and the bright, feelgood commercialism of Christopher Cross.
Album standout might just be the bright and breezy ‘For The Love’. It has the New Wave bite of Aztec Camera, and that can only be a good thing.
Elsewhere, a few tracks don’t quite stand up to close scrutiny. ‘Turn This Car Around’ s painful metaphor, doesn’t do it any favours, and ‘You Give Me A Reason To Live’ is disappointingly bland.
Then, just as we think Palace is running out of ideas, up pops ‘Stronger By The Day’, a cool, stripped down slice of Soft Rock. Nice finish. ***
Review by Brian McGowan
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
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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)
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