My last album review was published just a short while ago, but it seems like decades since we’ve heard an album as unapologetically ‘80s as Reckless Heart. The latest release from Palace, a brilliant Sweden-based project from multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Michael Palace, this album will inspire and capture your ideal visions of the 1980s regardless of whether you’ve lived them yourself or were even around back then. Seriously, everything from rocking pointy sunglasses and hair past your shoulders to driving down a desert highway in a bright-red convertible will be manifested in your mind with every listen of this hard-rocking record. Think Rick Springfield meets Giant and you’re in the right ballpark for infectiously catchy pop rock with exemplary musicianship.
Reckless Heart is fantastic overall and captures the idealized ‘80s pop-meets-hard-rock sound. There’s plenty of heavy riffs and guitar twanging to spare, along with just the right amount of synth synonymous with the beloved decade that provides a retro glaze throughout the whole album. Additionally, Michael Palace’s moving and powerful vocal performances amplify each track and lifts them to the heights he was clearly aiming for when envisioning this record.
This combination of instrumentation and vocals gives a great deal of life to each track, and there’s not a single weak one on the entire album! Some specific highlights include the opening title track, the entrancing sound of “The Widow’s Web,” the fast-paced and upbeat “Back In Your Arms,” and the sense of urgency provided by “Turn This Car Around.” In accordance with the sound of the ‘80s, the obligatory mid tempo, power ballads “You Give Me A Reason To Live” and “Weightless” also shine through remarkably without sounding too corny. Be sure to check out the powerful, stripped down, bonus track version of “You Give Me a Reason to Live” to hear that a strong song will shine through regardless of production or arrangement.
| Palace, Reckless Heart |
|
| Genre: | Pop Rock, Hard Rock, AOR |
| Musicianship: |  |
| Songwriting: |  |
| Production & Engineering: | |
| Vibe: | |
| Overall Rating: | (3.75 out of 4) |
The musicianship and songwriting were executed entirely by Michael Palace himself, and while most completely solo efforts from artist with visions of grandeur display weakness across at least half of the instrumentation, that’s not the case with Palace. And, you’ve got to give him even more credit for his skilled production and mixing of Reckless Heart, which he also took sole command of. Every note on each track is crystal clear, and it’s hard to miss a beat or a moment while listening.
That brings us back to the vibe of the record: you had better believe this album would surpass our scoring limit of 4 for the vibe category if we only allowed it! In case it wasn’t made clear enough before, the hard rock with killer guitar and synth elements of the 1980s are brilliantly harnessed on Reckless Heart, which will assuredly allow the modern listener to headbang and air-guitar to a sound few could forget, and perhaps inspire those who were really there to break out their old acid-washed jeans and spandex.
All in all, Palace’s Reckless Heart is an absolute gem of a hard rock record that is sure to please. If it wasn’t evident that Michael Palace had captured the sound of the 1980s before, this latest entry proves that he’s just about mastered it. Picking up a copy of this album will guarantee that the rest of your summer is “Totally rad!”
… Or at least that’s what they’d say in the ‘80s.
