Artist: Streetlight Album: “Night Vision” Label: Frontiers Music SRL
I’ll admin it. I’d never heard of Streetlight before today. So I was intrigued to hear ‘Night Vision”, their second album following debut “Ignition” release in 2023.
Streetlight are an AOR / melodic rock band from Jonkoping, Sweden. Featuring a five piece line up, they have toured extensively, playing clubs and festivals in their home country.
Opener “Long -Distance Runner” sets the scene. Straight out of the gates we get anthemic vocals, twin guitars and keyboard flourishes atop a solid rhythm section that drives the track along. The stall is well and truly set!
Lead single “Captured In The Night” builds the momentum. A lovely keyboard riff, joined by crunchier guitars, and then we’re off and running into a song that wouldn’t be out of place in the early 80s alongside Journey, Foreigner and the like.
The pace doesn’t let up. Streetlight make the most of a driving rhythm section with plenty of keyboard and guitar melodies topped off with powerful vocals and harmonies. The ending to track three, “Sleep Walk”, showcases the latter to the max.
The inevitable power ballad follows the opening triplet. “Learn To Love Again” is all you’d expect from an AOR ballad. Of course, that carries the risk of it sounding derivative and second rate compared to the classic ballads we know and love. Not so here. It’s carried off with style and aplomb that nods to the past yet remains contemporary.
“Late Night Hollywood” has an almost choral opening that gives way to what these ears think is a more gritty vocal style from singer and guitarist Johannes Häger, segueing into a sing-along chorus.
“Leanna” features a more bluesy, mid-tempo style. It’s a pleasant variation from the 80’s melodic rock style that’s dominated so far, and hints at depths to their talent that could easily help them to stand out from the pack of AOR bands out there today.
“Straight To Video” brings back the crunchy guitars to open a song that you can imaging playing as you drive along on a summer’s day. This is very welcome as I stare out of my window at a miserable January day in the UK!
Now we’re into the final three tracks.
Mid-tempo track “Fly With The Eagles” kicks us off, reminiscent in parts of Def Leppard’s Hysteria, one of ay all time favourite songs.
Penultimate track “Where Did Love Go” is another slower ballad before we get to the final track “End Game”. It’s the longest song on the record and crams a lot in, taking almost prog-like turns in places, and featuring a bit of saxophone for the first time. Once again it shows a talent this band have that goes beyond their AOR roots.
Overall, despite the album feeling like it lost momentum in it’s closing act, I’m left impressed by “Night Vision” and keen to search out Streetlight’s debut record so I can hear more.
Rob Jackson | Now spinning Magazine