A strong debut demands a strong follow-up. The melodic rock / AOR sextet BOYS FROM HEAVEN are now ready with their sophomore album, “The Descendant“, to be released June 9th.
The group, though still faithful to the 80s AOR universe, have found greater inspiration in a more atmospheric sound, where dreamy vocals, punchy synthesizers and drum machines are blended with the band’s organic and authentic Rock sound. For this new CD, all musical elements have been meticulously crafted in this incredibly detailed production, which is mixed & mastered by talented Erik Martensson (Eclipse, Ammunition, etc.)
On “The Descendant”, Boys From Heaven present the sonic equivalent of cruising back to the future, straight to the arcade hall, on to the drive-in cinema, and back home to mend a broken heart.
In some ways they fill a rather thin but important gap between AOR and Westcoast, and that’s one of several reasons why we really love these guys. And how often do you get albums these days with clear traces of Bridge 2 Far and prime time TOTO?
We’d mainly call their music light AOR (some say lite AOR) and this Danish 6-piece really know how to write songs with plenty of reminiscence of the first half of the 80s.
All song are delicious, however a favorite should be ”Sarah”, a 2-beat tune in soft classy AOR tradition. The nice sax fills fits the song perfectly and adds to the harmonies and sweetness. It’s a song for the summer…
At times, when they are in their most poppy oriented mood, they actually come pretty close to fellow landsmen Toys Of Joy. And the rhythm moves occasionally take on a modern touch.
TOTO is a clear to the band and we are guessing their song ”Hydra” is a role model for ”Circles” here. At least for the rhythm playing. Guitar player Mads Schaumann impresses with very cool melodies and atmospheres – his guitar sound actually reminds a bit of underrated Mike Oldfield.
For “The Descendant”, the Danish boys decided to approach the recording in a different way, opting for a more intimate setting. “We know from experience that the tracking process is the longest when crafting an album, and also the most important. Because of this, we didn’t want to book an expensive studio and feel pressed for time and money”, lead singer Chris Catton explains.
“We wished to record as much of the album ourselves as possible, so we had time to polish all the details that are part of writing a great, coherent record. Therefore we chose to record the album in my studio in Copenhagen, giving us the opportunity to care for even the smallest details of the album. This, of course, means very little if you don’t have the right producer who can take the recordings and bring the songs to the next level.”
That’s why Boys From Heaven teamed up with Erik Martensson of Eclipse who, it must be said, certainly lives up to his reputation with this impressive production.
A must for ’80s aficionados.
HIGHLY Recommended
You’ve seen it first at plotn08
1. Sailing On
2. Make It Right
3. Sarah
4. Endless Love
5. Last Time
6. Circles
7. The Dream Is Gone
8. Too Far Gone
Lineup:
Mads Noyé – keyboards
Mads Schaumann – guitar, vocals
Søren Viig Mathiesen – drums
Chris Catton – lead vocals
Jonas Klintström Larsen – saxophone
Morten Bille – bass
BOYS FROM HEAVEN – The Descendant 2023, MP3
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