Here’s another Frontiers project band that had some success with their debut, a self-titled record that came out in 2018, enough success for the label to request a follow-up. The debut brought together FM vocalist Steve Overland with work Of Art members Robert Säll (guitars) and Herman Furin (drums) and bass-player extraordinaire Nalley Påhlsson (Treat, Therion and a million others) – a song writing collaboration between Overland and Säll and of course, keyboarder/producer Alessandro Del Vecchio. With members like that – and especially a soulful and strong vocalist like Overland, I had some high hopes for that record. Unfortunately the material didn’t live up to those expectations. I mean, it was well-performed and well-produced and it did had some really good songs but as a whole I was underwhelmed by the record. Too often, it sounded like one of those thirteen-a-dozen frontiers all-star albums with Overland’s vocals as the only stand-out point.
Four years later, the follow-up the label wished for is here. This time Säll bowed out and was replaced by another Swede, Street Talk guitarist Sven Larsson with guys like Pete Alpenborg (Arctic Rain), Stefano Lionetti (Lionville), Jan Åkesson (Infinite & Divine) and Kristian Fyhr (Seventh Crystal) joining Overland and Del Vecchio as song-writers, all of them are of course employed by the label as song writers. While all of them are writers with a lot of experience and sure has some really good songs on their CV, I can’t shake the feeling that this will come off as a bit predictable, that I probably know beforehand how it will sound. Be that as it may, I can only hope that the new album will be higher in quality than the debut.
Opener and lead-off single “Standing On The Edge Of A Broken Dream” bodes really well, I must say. It’s quite pop-laden and a bit glossy with a clear FM vibe from their 80’s AOR days. It’s big on keyboards but also holds a chunky guitar riff and a rhythmic drive with Overlands fabulous voice on top. It’s an uptempo number that brings on an effective refrain that sticks right from hello. Very good. The following title-track goes full-on mid 80’s both in sound and song-structure – total AOR. It’s upbeat and holds a steady rhythm which makes for a chunky live-track, if this lot ever hits the stage together. It’s a good song albeit not as strong as the opener.
A tear-jerkin’ ballad, “Captain Of Our Love” is a slow-paced piece that brings out some real emotional vocals from Overland. Style-wise it goes back to FM’s late 80’s Tough It Out days albeit with a slice of Classic Rock inserted. AOR-ish melodies are combined with some blackening emotions. The tune holds a massive refrain that takes the tune into power ballad territory but it’s more down-to-earth than cheesy. Very good. “Evermore” is more standard 80’s AOR with a Scandinavian twist to it. It’s up-tempo, straight ahead and pretty glossy with lots of keyboards. A chunky and rougher mid-break gives the tune some edge. It’s a decent song but a bit middle-of-the-road.
“Wild World” – not a Cat Stevens cover – comes in a mid-pace with a chunky groove. It’s AOR for sure but guitar-driven and a nod towards 70’s Classic Rock. However, the slick and silky vocal and sugary arrangements takes away the song’s edge. The chorus too is of standard AOR-pattern – quite predictable and a bit dull. A cover, however, is “Carrie” but no it’s not the buttery Europe-ballad, thank you very much. It’s a cover of Michael Bolton’s old jewel from his self-titled 1984 album. It’s quite close to the original, maybe a bit slicker but it still holds the affable groove, live-feel and the spot-on refrain. Overland really nails it vocally, too. Great.
“Fighting For Love” is a mid-paced semi-ballad, quite straight forward with an upbeat rhythm and a very smooth main-melody and a cosy feel all over. The tune holds some tasty guitar-work and delicate keyboards where the chorus is a bit sugar-coated but at the same time well-balanced. The chorus holds a nice hook that makes the song hard to deny. Good one. “It Don’t Get Better Than This” could have been an unreleased FM track from the 80’s. It’s an upbeat AOR number with effective melodies and a distinct refrain that grabs a holds right from hello.
The album’s latest single “There’s No Tomorrow” might hold a bit too obvious resemblance to Michael Bolton’s “Can’t Turn It Off” but this uptempo Pop meets AOR stomper is actually quite good. The blending between the meaty bass-lines, juicy rhythms and 80’s sounding synths works really well. The chorus is huge and as they say, if you’re gonna steal, steal from the best. “When Lightning Strikes” takes the AOR into grittier territories with a base of classic, melodic Hard Rock dressed in a slicker, lustrous suit where raunchier guitars rubs shoulders with slick keyboards. It’s a good tune albeit a couple of steps away from great.
“Til The End Of Time” throws out poppy elements to left and right but the upbeat groove and the rhythmic beats gives the tune a nice live-friendly vibe. It holds a big mid 80’s touch, the melodies are all direct and in-your-face with FM-like vocal-melodies. It’s sweet and smooth but still not overly glossy – and the chorus is majestic, enormously catchy. Very good indeed. Closer “Leap Of Faith” is another big, chunky AOR number full of big vocal-harmonies inside a colorful soundscape. The song could have been off any of the latter day FM releases. Big hooks, strong melodies, a great vocal performance from Overland and a big chorus that screams hit a long way. Good stuff.
If you throw musicians of this calibre together there isn’t any risk of a crap album coming out the other end – and no, crap this is not. On the other hand, it’s really not that awesome either, to be honest. This is, just like the debut, one of those albums that’s enjoyable while listening but really doesn’t linger long after it’s done. Musically, it’s a bit too streamlined and mainstream where too few songs really stands out. Also, I just don’t get a band-feel out of this, the scent of just another Frontiers project never disappears – the project just don’t have its own sound much because it’s all written by Frontiers’ own go-to-guys. The musicians are of course brilliant and Overland is a soulful singer no matter where he puts his voice but it all comes out too impersonal.
6/10
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Tracklist:
1. Standing On The Edge Of A Broken Dream
2. Soul To Soul
3. Captain Of Our Love
4. Evermore
5. Wild World
6. Carrie
7. Fighting For Love
8. It Don’t Get Better Than This
9. There’s No Tomorrow
10. When Lightning Strikes
11. Til The End Of Time
12. Leap Of Faith
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