If you ask 100 hard rock fans out there to name a Tyketto song, you know exactly what all 100 of them will say. If you ask those same 100 people to name two more songs, things get tricky. And yet Tyketto isn’t just the band behind “Forever Young,” and for me personally, their first three albums are highly commendable. And while everything they released in the 21st century left me completely indifferent, I was nonetheless looking forward to their return with some interest, since we shouldn’t forget that a full decade has already passed since “Reach”.
“Closer To The Sun” is a truly exceptional album. An album that finds Danny Vaughn and his band in compositional form, with a record that, while showing maturity, simultaneously evokes the good old days of the Americans. And while only Danny remains from the classic lineup of “Don’t Come Easy,” the guy… is more than enough! His voice remains in excellent shape, and we shouldn’t overlook the fact that he looks exactly the same as ever… okay, with grey hair! Musically speaking, I’d describe “Closer To The Sun” as a mix of “Strength in Numbers” with touches of “Don’t Come Easy,” while fans of Tyketto from the Steve Augeri era on vocals should check it out, too.
I’ve written this before and will emphasize it at every opportunity: we need good hard rock albums from America for many and various reasons. And Tyketto delivers this in spades with “Closer to the Sun,” since we’re talking about an album that may take a peek at the past but looks toward the future with boundless optimism. We highly recommend it!
Highlight: Tyketto will visit Athens, Greece for the first time on December 5 at the Piraeus Club Academy. We’ll be there.
Sakis Nikas
