“Add a lot of sex, a little drugs and a reckless love.” Such a gleefully hedonistic lyric tells you all you need to know about these fun-loving, melodic glam rockers.
'Spirit' is Reckless Love's third album, and once again finds them imitating every 1980s hair metal band they've ever heard to create an orgy of razor-sharp riffs, stadium-sized choruses and lightning guitar solos, all delivered with enough cheese to supply Pizza Hut for the next few decades. It's very well executed, but can they really crash the mainstream playing a style of music whose commercial heyday was three decades ago?
After a brazen, sleazy debut, 2011's sophmore effort – 'Animal Attraction' – felt rushed and uncertain. Although it contained sharper melodies, the overall quality had dropped and the band faltered as they attempted to incorporate crossover pop dynamics and dancefloor grooves into their hard rock repertoire.
'Spirit' finds Reckless Love returning to what they do best and they take the strongest elements from their previous two releases to fashion their finest album to date.
Bolstered by heavier guitars and the radio-friendly hooks of Animal Attraction, it's excellent kick-ass escapism. Just check out Night On Fire for proof. Destined for constant airplay in an alternate universe where grunge never happened, its groin-thrusting groove and euphoric hook are a musical sugar rush. Likewise Bad Lovin', a storming fist-in-the-air rocker fuelled by a thunderous chorus and hearty 'whoa oh' backing vocals.
The album is jam-packed with no nonsense feel-good anthems, all dispatched with sizeable swagger. Runaway Love is a classic boy-meets-girl drive time rocker, Die Hard a thumping anthem that raises two fingers to naysayers, and the aforementioned Sex, Drugs & Reckless Love will have you grinning from ear to ear with its party hard vibe. They also dive into heavier waters on Metal Ass, channelling Accept and Skid Row with a brutal guitar attack and some glass shattering screams from vocalist Olli Herman.
For all the bombast, Reckless Love's best chance of mainstream recognition could come from their superb ballads. In spite of some juvenile lyrics, they have a real knack for writing cracking love songs. Edge Of Our Dreams is the big winner here, with a romantic sheen that'll drop many a leopard-print thong. The misty moonlight ambience of Dying To Live also provides a nice change of tone, while Hot Rain is the kind of power ballad that's sure to raise lighters skywards.
For anyone in the know, this isn't original and their influences are easily identifiable. So Happy I Could Die has exactly the same chorus structure as Motley Crue'sKickstart My Heart, while I Love Heavy Metal takes the hero worship to extremes. There's a riff that joins DefLeppard's Pour Some Sugar On Me to Poison's Unskinny Bop, sound effects nicked from the former's Rocket and a mid-song groove pinched from Aerosmith's Love In An Elevator.
Furthermore, the lyrics are almost entirely composed from 1980s song titles and the names of their favourite rock bands. It's undeniably corny, but their ballsy conviction and a gigantic chorus make for a winning anthem that's perfect for concert goers to chant at the top of their lungs.
Reckless Love have been getting a healthy commercial push and if there's an untapped appetite for this music, 'Spirit' will find it. It may shamelessly regurgitate the sounds of the past, but it's done with such love and dedication it's hard not to be swept along by the unbridled energy and enthusiasm. Whether that's enough to see them embraced by depressingly trendy music journalists and radio presenters remains to be seen.
Tue October 1st 2013 - MANCHESTER Manchester Academy 3
Wed October 2nd 2013 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE O2 Academy Newcastle
Thu October 3rd 2013 - GLASGOW Cathouse
Fri October 4th 2013 - LEEDS Cockpit
Sat October 5th 2013 - NOTTINGHAM Rock City
Sun October 6th 2013 - WOLVERHAMPTON Slade Rooms
Tue October 8th 2013 - NORWICH Waterfront Studio
Wed October 9th 2013 - BRISTOL Fleece
Thu October 10th 2013 - LONDON O2 Academy Islington
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