I had never heard of Lionville before I got the promo for their 2017 album A World Of Fools despite them having been around since 2010 and two independent releases in their back-pocket. With Swedish singer Lars Säfsund of Work Of Art fame, this Italian AOR six-piece released their last album, a very slick and polished AOR album. A guy like Säfsund never releases anything that isn’t of high quality and the record was well received in AOR and Melodic Rock circles around the world. Personally, I liked the album but just like with Work Of Art’s releases, it was a bit too silky, polished and glossy for my taste. I do like my AOR but I like it a bit grittier and edgier than this, soundwise. That said, I did listen to the record quite a bit when it was released although I haven’t picked it up for some time now. Since the record was a success, it was a no-brainer that a follow-up would occur sooner or later. With my fingers crossed that this effort would be at least a bit rowdier than its predecessor, I sunk my teeth into the band’s new creation.
The album’s leading single, which is also the record’s opener, “Nothing Without You” told us beforehand that nothing has changed and that Lionville continues the path of the last album. This is an upbeat and straight-forward AOR number – very slick, polished and smooth where the keyboards overshadows the guitars, especially in the verses. For AOR hardcores, I guess this is as spot-on as it gets and sure, I agree that the chorus is massive and ridiculously catchy – I do enjoy this – but it’s really too smooth and silky. Some rough edges wouldn’t have hurt. “You’re Not Alone”, released as an official audio, takes on a slower pace with a more laid-back attitude. It’s slick as can be with big pop-twists and a rather chunky beat. The chorus is catchy enough but somehow I got lost along the way – it’s a bit too streamlined for me.
“Runaway” – haven’t we reached an overkill on this song-title yet? – puts us in a time-machine back to the mid-80’s. We get a whole lot of Pop that dances around with AOR, a bit held-back yet with a good, upbeat rhythm, quite slick and a bunch of “whoa whoa whoa” in the chorus. While I have a soft spot for songs like these, it still passes me by without making much of an impression – it just don’t stand out enough. Not bad but to mainstream, I guess. We stay in 1986 for the sugary ballad “Finally You’re With Me”. It’s a bit on the sullen side, even cozy sounding and there’s a really catchy main-melody and a sticky refrain. But as I wrote, it’s very sugary – too sugary for me which means that I really can’t grasp the tune without having a sugar-rush deluxe.
“Every Little Thing (Leads Back To You)” is faster, straight-forward and trying to rock a bit tougher, something this album needed by now. That said, it’s still pure AOR with a chunky dose of Pop waved in and the arrangement is very slick. But it also holds shitloads of hooks and a very direct and in-your-face chorus plus some more raunchy guitars, especially in the Hard Rock laden solo. It’s a good, fat arena-rocker that sticks with me right from go. They keep the uptempo with the Toto-esque AOR-stomper “If You Don’t Know Me”. Sure, it’s a smooth and polished tune, very poppy, but the distinct and effective melodies and the big, direct and massively catchy refrain makes up for that. Very good and the best track so far.
Guitars!!! Finally! “Living With The Truth” brings on some crispy and meaty guitar-riffing which is a blessing here even though the production is still very glossy and it lacks real attitude. And another guitar solo clearly inspired by classic Hard Rock! That said, it’s still an AOR rocker in an uptempo pace and a straight ahead groove where the melodies are covered with super-glue and the chorus is über-catchy. Yes, sirs, I like this very much. On a West Coast note, “Reaching For The Sky” sends more Toto influences our way. This mid-paced and slightly held back AOR-stomper sends the band outside their comfort zone at times. Here’s a passage of beefy Hard Rock guitar riffing, an electric piano solo that paves way for a saxophone dito which brings up the song’s dynamics. On top, there’s a huge chorus which is unescapable. Good stuff.
Second single “I’ll Never Give My Heart Away” feels like a hit right away. A bit laid-back and somewhat sullen, the track also holds a rolling and kind of prog-laden drum beat and a chunky, swinging bass-line. As the song goes along, it gets more upbeat and rock-groovy – all in the name of AOR, of course – and when the very 80’s laden chorus shows up, catchy as damn, we have a real winner for this album. The love-ballad “Into The Night” is another mid 80’s sugar-filled tearjerker of a ballad albeit with a saddening and sullen outlook, quite subdued and serene. I’m not gonna slag the tune off – it do hold a gorgeous guitar solo but it’s too mawkish for my taste. The closing title-track is pure Pop on a danceable rhythm built on bass and drums, filled up with a mountain of keyboards with the guitars secretly filling in in the background. It actually reminds me of a movie-score for an 80’s movie like Beverly Hills Cop and the likes, sterile and slick with a smooth as hell main-melody. I don’t hate it but it’s not all that great either.
If you loved the last album, you’ll probably love this as much – and for hardcore AOR:sters who hasn’t picked up on this band yet, well I guess this album is a must. For me, though, I find it a whole lot up and down when it comes to quality of the songs. The production is – as you might have guessed by now – extremely polished, glossy, slick and pink n’ fluffy where nothing really stands out or challenges me as a listener. Listen, I know that these guys are damn good at what they do and they most likely love this kind of music whole-heartedly plus the fact they’re all great musicians with Säfsunds great set of pipes on top, but to my ears, Lionville are just another thirteen a dozen AOR band with a Scandinavian outlook – and there’s shitloads of them out there. I will have no problem putting this record on again some time in the future but that said, it just don’t rub me the right way.
5/10
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Tracklist:
1. Nothing Without You
2. You’re Not Alone
3. Runaway
4. Finally You’re With Me
5. Every Little Thing (Leads Back To You)
6. If You Don’t Know Me
7. Living With The Truth
8. Reaching For The Sky
9. I’ll Never Give My Heart Away
10. Into The Night
11. Magic Is Alive
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