Artist: Los Angeles
   Title: Neverland
   Label: Frontiers Records

In the world of AOR there are many great names and great bands and in the 80’s these bands ruled the airways, those high times may now be a thing of the past and the genre may have slipped down in the running order in today’s radio stations priority genres, but there are still a few of us hardcore fans of the genre and still equally there are a great number of artists keeping the scene alive and one of those artists who loves his AOR is vocalist supreme Michele Luppi.

Luppi has put together a project that shows that good AOR is still out there with the name Los Angeles.  He has enlisted bass player and producer Fabrizio Grossi to help with the songwriting and bass duties on this new album 'Neverland'.

Also he has brought into his ranks Tommy Denander, Joey Sykes and Roberto Priori to help on guitar parts, the maestro Eric Ragno on keyboards and completing the line-up Tony Morra on drums, together they are Los Angeles.

To say this album is a must for all lovers of great Melodic Rock is an understatement, the album is as true blue a Melodic Rock release as you’ll hear this year.

Opening up with the title track ‘Neverland’ you're simply thrown back to when the genre was at its peak.  Great melodies wrapped around some fine vocals, just what the doctor ordered to heighten the spirits on a dark winters night.

It's more of the same with the fantastic tones of ‘Nothing To Hide’, a real slice of ear candy this one, as Luppi’s shows of his majestic vocals once more on t this superb version of the Richard Marx’s song which Luppi nails.

The album takes a more mellow turn with the excellent ‘City Of Angels’ and the groove filled guitar laden ‘Promises’, both tracks that will send raptures around the Melodic Rock community.  Although I have to say it’s the more rockier side of the album that really floats my boat and with that the album continues with ‘Wait For You’ being one such track.  Then it's the haunting melodies of ‘Nowhere To Hide’, which brings together the best of both worlds with superb harmonies from Luppi matched with some stunning guitar work, all wrapped in a tight musical package that unwraps before your ears.  Great stuff and one of my favourites off the album.

This superb album just gets better and better as each track unfolds to reveal a musical gem with the likes of ‘Tonight Tonight’ and ‘Living Inside’, my pick of the rest.  My personal favourite of the entire album being ‘Welcome To My Life’.  But don’t take my word for it, if you need a last minute stocking filler for the Melodic Rock lover in you life then pick this one up and you’ll see them smile all the way to the New Year.

Tracklisting:

01. Neverland
02. Nothing To Hide
03. City Of Angels
04. Promises
05. Wait For You
06. Nowhere To Hide
07. Tonight Tonight
08. Higher Love
09. Living Inside
10. Welcome To My Life
11. Paradise

 

                   

 

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