SOREN ANDERSEN – GUILTY PLEASURES
SOREN ANDERSEN – GUILTY PLEASURES (MIGHTY MUSIC, 2019)
A powerful and exciting album that has all the numbers to become an instant classic
Genre: Hard Rock, Guitar Hero
Mark: 9/10
Soren Andersen is not a newcomer in the music business. Infact, he's been around for quite a while now: first as a session man, then as the axe-man of choicefor Glenn Hughes, Mike Tramp and Billy Sheehan, just to mention a few. He's comfortable on the other side of the mix too, being the co-owner of the renowed Medley Studios in Copenhagen (Prince, Radiohead, The Cardigans, Mary J. Blige and many more in their client list). But Soren is more than just a producer and a great guitarist: he's also an exceptional songwriter, and from the 4th of last October a massive piece of rock'n'roll is here to prove it once again. Guilty Pleasures is Soren Andersen's new album, an instrumental masterpiece with a delightfully vintage aura that takes you back to the 80s guitar-heroes era without sounding not even for a minute old or out of place in today's musical landscape. Ten songs accurately crafted, packed with astounding special guests and guaranteed to knock you off your feet for good. The opening track, also one of my personal favourite, is a nostalgic but energetic reminiscence à la Satriani: City of Angels has the galloping drive of a mid-eighties airplay hit and will surely hook you right from the first notes with its straight-to-the point riff. Agent Wells is next, the perfect soundtrack for a Bond movie featuring Marco Mendoza and his devastating bass. Mr Andersen is a real guitar hero, but don't take my word for it: just listen to The Kid and it'll prove me right. You can't have a great rock record without ballads; Soren knows it and, for your listening pleasure, here's Satori. But his taste for exotic atmospheres is more evident in Beirut, thank also to percussionist guest star Simona Abdallah on Darbuka giving the whole track a wonderful ethnic flavour. I must be honest, I couldn't find a weak moment even if I tried: every song is a blast, a refill of pure energy. From Bipolar, a monumental epic rock anthem, to Bad Weather, an extremely powerful mid-tempo, to Bird Feeder, another fantastic track that could have been cut by Satriani himself, Andersen's storytelling seems to have no limits. But I'm saving the best for last, since I have a couple of advices left for you, my absolute favourites, two real vintage-flavoured gems: 1983 and Skybar are two power-rock songs that will leave you breathless, the latter featuring the awesome work of Ida Nielsen on bass. For all the nostalgic rockers out there but also for the younger kids who never had the chance to live the fantastic guitar-hero scene of the late 80s - early 90s Guilty Pleasures is an exciting new album by Soren Andersen that surely has all the numbers to become an instant classic.
TRACKLIST:
1) City of Angels
2) Agent Wells
3) The Kid
4) Satori
5) Skybar
6) Bad Weather
7) Beirut
8) Bird Feeder
9) 1983
10) Bipolar
Line-up:
Soren Andersen: Guitars, Keyboards, Bass (on The Kid)
Michael Gersdorff Kristensen: Bass
Marco Mendoza: Bass
Morten Hellborn: Drums
Guests:
Ida Nielsen: Bass on Skybar
Marcus Linnet: Simmons Toms on Skybar
Simona Abdallah: Darbuka on Beirut
Glenn Hughes: Bass on Bird Feeder
Chad Smith: Drums on Bird Feeder
Neil Murray: Bass on 1983
WEB: https://www.facebook.com/soren.andersen.33