UK TV talent shows have become the bane of ny life…particularly when they insist on having what they somewhat jokingly have a “rock” night! You would have thought that a man with as much knowledge of the music indutry as the high waist trousered one could tell the difference between cheesy pop and the kind of rock that we all love? Sorry, I am I ranting again? Anyway, viewers in other countries seem to have more opportunity to see proper rock singers (even American Idol produce Chris Daughtry!) and Swedish television can be held responsible for the discovery of Anders Wigelius by producer Daniel Flores (Issa/Murder of My Sweet).
Flores heard the 25 year old singing the brilliant (but somewhat ubiquitous) “Don’t Stop Believing” and ReInventions is the album that is the fruit of this discovery. Filled with classic AOR keyboards, tasteful but heroic guitar licks and solos and crisp harmonies this is the sort of album that would have sold by the bucket load in the 80s. For lovers of Journey, Jovi and loads of other AOR greats that don’t begin with a “J” this record represents everything that made us fall for this genre in the first place. Occasionally, the songs stick to a formula that perhaps makes the album a little too retro in places but when firing on all cylinders, such as on “Next to Me” (which is for the majority of the 12 tracks on offer here) Wigelius produce music of a quality that the Scandinavian AOR scene has justly resurrected recently and that the American greats of the 80s made such a great success of.
The sound to accompany sunny road trips to the beach? Absolutely….just let me know when the rain stops!
“ReInventions” is available now on Frontiers records
Review by David Wilson
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