WEST OF SUNSET – West Of Sunset ’92 [YesterRock remaster +1] HQ *Exclusive*

320_1 /// 320_2 /// HQ 1 /// HQ 2

Originally coming together a few years earlier under the moniker Fingerprints, Swedish duo WEST OF SUNSET consisted of Bjorn Strom (vocals, guitar, keys) and Thomas Axelsson (bass, guitar), the pair put on a strong showing of earthy melodic rock on their self-titled debut album, ”West Of Sunset”. The sound is very American mid-west oriented, with a few pop-rock drawstrings in there for good measure. It’s not smooth Swedish ‘playing AOR by numbers’ at all, but more syncopated and stripped back.
Released initially in 1992, and that’s probably why this never was a big seller, it came a few years too late in a time where the musical environment changed drastically. Being released on a local Scandinavian label didn’t help either.
Fortunately re-released by YesterRock Records (and still hard to find by the way), carefully remastered by Tony Übler, this is a must have classic for all who love the “poppier” side of AOR / Melodic Rock.
As 0dayrox extra, we added as bonus a non-album track, single B-side.
The opening trio of songs are all pretty special. ‘Giving My Heart Away’ is very upbeat, while the title track ‘West Of Sunset’ is a real melter, bedevilled with a sublime chorus and vivid verses leading into it. ‘Ocean Boulevard’ is another upbeat rock&pop masterpiece. On this one Mr. Strom sounds like Jeff Scott Soto doing pop!!

‘Now You’ve Gone’ is a subtle ballad which drifts on an ocean of emotion. Again the choruses are killer! The duo manage to crank up the guitars on ‘Gimme Your Love’ while the organs and drums keep pace and volume. The pop smarts return on ‘Time Is All We Need’ while the sound effects are let out of the bag on ‘Gotta Have It All’.
‘Homeward Bound’ moves similarly to the opener ‘Giving My Heart Away’, echoes of the mid-west surge forth on ‘Taking A Chance’ before ending with the ballad ‘Before I Trust’.

For a Swedish outfit, they are definitely American flavored, and though a band like Roxette was probably all the rage in their homeland at the time, they’ve kept to their own narrow path/style and have traversed it reasonably well.
”West Of Sunset” is among the best melodic rock / pop AOR albums appeared in Scandinavia in the early ’90s.
HIGHLY recommended

01 – Giving My Heart Away
02 – West Of Sunset
03 – Ocean Boulevard
04 – Now You’re Gone
05 – Gimme Your Love
06 – Time Is All We Need
07 – Gotta Have It All
08 – I Just Wanna Hold You
09 – Homeward Bound
10 – Taking A Chance
11 – Before I Trust My Heart
0dayrox extra:
12 – It Will Be Alright [B-side]

Bjorn Strom – vocals, guitar, keys
Thomas Axelsson – bass, guitar

with:
Per Lindvall, Joan Franzon – drums
Anders Hansson, Jorgen Ingestrom, Kjell Ohman – keys
Anders Hansson – drums programming

Guitars;
Patrick Lindell
Lars Wellander
Anders Hansson
Torbjorn Stener
Jan Oldeus
Henrik Hansson

BUY
www.amazon.co.uk/West-Sunset/dp/B002NPXGHY