Boston has never failed to deliver and this album, "Life, Love & Hope", is no exception. The incredibly crisp and superior attention that is paid to the details within the songs is astounding. Even the cover has that classic Boston feel to it. Tom Scholz and his band have crafted a finely tuned starship of aor friendly hits and rocketed it into space. Tom is the pilot but the band surrounding him really tears this album up.
"Heaven On Earth", and "Sail Away" are two stand out tracks from this powerful poetic pinnacle of music. The one thing that really grabbed me was the overall production and emotional quality of the songs. You can tell each track is like a child for these artists. Band legacy aside, these songs are each individually strong and perfect. Combined on the disc they take on a life of their own.
Only a superior band like Boston could survive this business for over 35 years, take a ten year hiatus, and come back with an album this strong. Of course for the loyal fans they never truly leave. Boston is a band that like a comet, flashes through our lives at just the right moment, briefly. Then we wait until they return. The wait is, with Boston, always worth it. That is quality, that is power, that is musicianship on an interstellar level.
There is that distinct Boston feel to songs like "Didn't Mean To Fall In Love" and "Someone". But "Sail Away" approaches a more modern tone. The interplay of vocalists Brad Delp and Kimberley Dahmer is inspirational. The track itself stands out as powerful but slightly different than the rest.
Another standout track is the instrumental, "Last Day Of School". Simply put it is a master class in composition and control. Boston musicianship at its finest.
Tom scholz and Tommy DeCarlo shine on the song "The Way You Look Tonight". The perfect harmony of men and the machinery of musical creation. The guitar solo here is unbelievable. It swells and then propels this ship into the deeper cosmos.
9 horns up/10
--MetalRising
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