Frontiers [Release date : 11.10.24]
Swedish musician/songwriter/producer, Tommy Denander has been an integral part of the AOR/Melodic Rock scene for more than 25 years now.
He’s worked closely with countless musicians in the genre, most notably Bobby Kimball, Alice Cooper and Jimi Jamison (RIP).
And still does: Jeff Paris and Jim Jidhed handle 4 songs each on Reset, plus one with Robin McAuley and one with Joey Vana. Mutt Lange and Keith Scott, Bryan Adams’ guitar man, are involved too. Quite a lineup.
We’re expecting a lot. And any resemblance to the sound of Toto is purely deliberate.
The album is initially underwhelming, with the music tending to politeness, lacking the density and texture of the promised Toto type rock.
But that’s the man’s style. Clean, clear sounds, uncluttered. Easy to like and easy to get used to.
What stands out most is Denander’s finely honed instinct for a memorable chorus/hook. First single ‘Sentimental’s got a bit of Work Of Art going on. Jidhed teases out a sympathetic vocal on a cool chorus, underlining a sinuous hook that’s got all the pop immediacy of AOR circa 1986.
‘Shame On You’ has a similar template with a busier arrangement, working up to another simple yet catchy, carefully wrought hook.
Denander absorbed all the ideas that surrounded him over the years, especially his time in LA, which gave him a large palette to work from.
And that colour mix is eminently noticeable on ‘Gaia’ and ‘Hard Times To Fall In Love’. The first a slick, lightly polished, cheek to cheek dancefloor filler and the second reminiscent of the classy self produced albums Toto were releasing 40 years ago.
The Toto influence is even more noticeable on ‘The Lights Go Down’ and ‘Midnight Train’. Both beefier, sturdier AOR songs, of the kind you might encounter in the mid 80s US singles’ charts.
The title track is a song for today. Musically, it’s set within a big sounding keyboard/ electronica soundscape. Lyrically, it’s an ‘Imagine’ for Generation Z. Where Lennon emoted, McAuley punches out a dramatic vocal.
It’s noticeable that using only two or three vocalists provides the kind of continuity you normally get on a band album only. Lesson learned ? ***1/2
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.
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Power Plays w/c 30 September 2024
AVALON STONE Cliffhanger (indie)
LEILANI KILGORE Trouble In My Bones (indie)
SKAM Rising Fever (indie)
INTERLAKER Carving Circles (Hassle Records)
DEFENCES Shadowlight (Long Branch Records)
ENMY On The Edge (FiXT)
TEXAS HIPPIE COALITIONBones Jones (Napalm Records)
Featured Albums w/c 30 September 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)
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