RADIOACTIVE (Tommy Denander) – Reset (2024) *HQ*
Founded in 1991 by the Swedish guitarist, songwriter and producer Tommy Denander, RADIOACTIVE is one of the vehicles for the talented musician to spread his own brand of hard but melodic rock with a real touch of class – you cannot go wrong with any Radioactive album.
The upcoming “Reset“, sixth album under the Radioactive name, showcases a collection of energetic and melodic songs to celebrate Tommy Denander‘s talent in composing great melodious hits.
As with the previous releases, Denander has brought in a wealth of vocal talent to add their unique talents to the proceedings with the likes of Jeff Paris, Robin McAuley, Joey Vana, Jim Jidhed – all making significant contributions.
Once again Tommy Denander plays guitar, bass and keyboards, and together with Tommy, famous producer Mutt Lange and Lenna Paris provide awesome backing vocals. The guitar work is beautiful, emotional and the guest singers combine to bring the project together perfectly, with their different styles they inject their own personalities in the songs that they perform on.
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 AOR number, 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.
Class, smoothness, melodies – that’s all about Denander’s RADIOACTIVE.
HIGHLY Recommended
01 – Sentimental (Jim Jidhed)
02 – Shame On You, Shame On Me (Jeff Paris)
03 – Gaia (Jeff Paris)
04 – When The Lights Go Down (Jim Jidhed)
05 – In A Perfect World (Jim Jidhed)
06 – Reset (Robin McAuley)
07 – Midnight Train (Harris Dio Zindani)
08 – Open Spaces (Jim Jidhed)
09 – Sweet Little Tina (Jeff Paris)
10 – Hard Times To Fall In Love (Joey Vana)
11 – Breakaway (Jeff Paris)
Lead Vocals:
Jim Jidhed
Jeff Paris
Robin McAuley
Joey Vana,
Harris Dio Zindani
Tommy Denander – guitar, bass, keyboards
Mutt Lange, Lenna Paris – backing vocals
Tony Levin – bass
Keith Scott – guitar
Pre order:
www.amazon.co.uk/Reset-Radioactive/dp/B0DB2N4667
