STEVE EMM – Pulsar (2025) *HQ*

After winning several awards from specialized AOR / Melodic Rock magazines and with his previous albums CD versions sold out in no time, Italian singer / songwriter / multi-instrumentalist STEVE EMM is back with 4th album “Pulsar“.
Sharp as a 1985 Japanese quartz Casio watch, our man lost in the ’80s, has recorded here a legitimate candidate for a place among the most relevant AOR albums of the year.
What amazes about Stefano Mainini, aka STEVE EMM, is his extraordinary creative ability and inexhaustible compositional inspiration. In just four years, he has released four AOR albums, an experimental bossa nova album, a retro synthwave project, a punk/metal album with Visione Inversa and, listen up, a black metal album under the name Zaphanel. I have always thought that releasing too many albums in a short time is a limit for creativity, risking to lead to repetition and burn the artistic spark.

But here we are facing with the exception that proves the rule: STEVE EMM is a true volcano of ideas, driven by an unstoppable passion for music at 360 degrees, capable of churning out gems in a continuous stream.
That’s the case with “Pulsar”, a 10-tracker that keeps you entertained even if you don’t dig AOR too much – this puts a smile in your face if you lived the ’80s.
EMM’s winning card is his freshness, natural vibe – that Eighties ‘pulse’ never feels forced, comes out with an immediacy that many other interpreters of the same genre lack.

This guy seems to come from another era. He does not limit himself to reproducing the sound and atmosphere of the Eighties, but embodies them and transforms them into music.
As happened in the previous album “Framework”, the mood of a ‘soundtrack’ continues, in the sense that each song has a theme that can be associated with a film or TV series of the time. It is, in its own way, a cinematic work: listen to the music and then try to match it with a film or TV series, a game that stimulates listening and, for those who lived through those years, represents a real dive into memories.

In “Pulsar”, however, the arrangements appear even more refined than before, slightly shifting the focus towards more hi-tech sounds. This perhaps makes them less immediate, requiring a couple more listens to fully grasp every nuance.
Furthermore, this time the good Steve avails himself of the collaboration of guests who enrich the sound, giving the album a broader scope. As example, the tight and super catchy “Into the Fire” the classy voice of Matteo Bertini appears as a special guest. Another highlight is “Never Too Young to Die”, which hosts the second duet with Alessandro Del Vecchio, who, as you will hear, seems to be having a lot of fun, giving a strong performance.

The shadow of Tim Feehan hovers over “Body Talks” and “Private Justice”, while “Hard Day’s Work” seems like an outtake by Huey Lewis and the News. Also very cool (and finally, I say) is the slow, crepuscular “Too Little Too Late” .
Noteworthy and precious are the numerous sax inserts by Manuel Trabucco, which enrich the sound of an album that, once again, is an absolute reference for the genre.
A journey through the classic AOR / melodic rock sound of the 80s, heavily influenced by the legendary film soundtracks.
Highly Recommended

01 – Pulsar (Main Titles)
02 – Future Force
03 – Into The Fire
04 – Body Talks
05 – Never To Young To Die
06 – Hard Day’s Work
07 – Private Justice
08 – Mean Streak
09 – Get Tough
10 – Too Little Too Late

Steve Emm: All Instruments & Voice
Manuel Trabucco: Sax
Carlo Uberti: Bass in Mean Streak
Alessandro Del Vecchio: Vocals in Never Too Young To Die
Matteo Bertini: Vocals in Into The Fire
Daniele ‘Bassa’ Bassani: Guitar in Future Force

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www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DVSS5NGG