|
|
"Returning to the basics of '80s AOR, Radioactive's “Reset” is a well-crafted album that struggles to stand out from the crowd."
|
3/5
|
|
|
|
Having muscled up his music into gleaming melodic hard rock with the excellent “X.X.X.”, Tony Denander returns in the year 2024 with new resolutions. Indeed, for this new opus from his Radioactive project, he has decided to return to the AOR roots of the 1980s, as if he were pressing the Reset key on his computer, hence the name of this album for which he has once again renewed the list of contributors. Robin Mc Auley is the only surviving singer, and the presence of Jeff Paris and Jim Jidhed on the vast majority of tracks suggests that the Swedish multi-instrumentalist has decided to soften his compositions.
And while “Reset” may give rise to some debate about its aesthetics, the least we can say is that the man behind the scenes wasn't lying when he announced it. Gone are the catchy, energetic bombs of 2022, and back to the basics laid down by Toto, Journey, Foreigner and co. four decades earlier. We're swimming here in nicely streamlined but classic AOR. 'Sentimental', 'Shame On You, Shame On Me' and 'Open Spaces' are undeniably classy, with catchy choruses, but the majority of tracks here struggle to surpass the stage of short-lived interest when they don't prove downright old-school ('Midnight Train').
Fortunately, Denander's gleaming solos regularly brighten up each track, some of which nevertheless manage to stand out from the crowd. The first of these is the eponymous track, with its modern touches and Robin Mc Auley's bluesy vocals giving it a more original identity. As for 'When The Lights Go Down', 'Sweet Little Tina' and 'Breakaway', they successfully press the gas pedal to provide an energetic, effective blast that keeps the whole thing catchy and balanced. Quite the opposite of 'Gaia', which sinks into an airy Westcoast bordering on the soporific.
Thanks to an unchallenged savoir-faire and an almost constant ability to find the right hook for each track on this opus, Radioactive nonetheless takes a step back from its previous offering. Indeed, despite the talent of Tommy Denander and his guests, “Reset” struggles to stand out from the mass of albums the genre offers us year after year. It's a pity, because the talent involved surely deserved better. - Official website
|
|
|
|
|
TRACK LISTING:
01. Sentimental (ft. Jim Jidhed) - 4:32
02. Shame On You, Shame On Me (ft. Jeff Paris) - 5:01
03. Gaia (ft. Jeff Paris) - 5:03
 04. When The Lights Go Down (ft. Jim Jidhed) - 4:07
05. In A Perfect World (ft. Jim Jidhed) - 4:33
06. Reset (ft. Robin Mcauley, Keith Scott, Tony Nilsson & Tony Levin) - 4:25
07. Midnight Train (ft. Harris Dio Zindani) - 3:57
08. Open Spaces (ft. Jim Jidhed) - 5:09
09. Sweet Little Tina (ft. Jeff Paris) - 4:24
10. Hard Times To Fall In Love (ft. Joey Vana) - 3:48
11. Breakaway (ft. Jeff Paris) - 4:26
LINEUP:
Neil Anami: Batterie
Tommy Denander: Guitares / Basse / Claviers
Andréas Carlsson: Invité / Chœurs
Harris Dio Zindani: Chant / Invité
Jeff Paris: Chant / Invité
Jim Jidhed: Chant / Invité
Joey Vana: Chant / Invité
Keith Scott: Guitares / Invité
Lenna Paris: Invité / Chœurs
Mutt Lange: Invité / Choeurs
Robin Mcauley: Chant / Invité
Tommy Henriksen: Invité / Chœurs
Tony Levin: Basse / Invité
Tony Nilsson: Claviers / Invité
|
|
| |
|
(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Top of the page
|
| |
|
|
(0) COMMENT(S)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
READERS
1/5 (1 view(s))
|
STAFF:
3/5 (1 view(s))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
OTHER REVIEWS
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT RADIOACTIVE
|
|