Having wandered around, reworked, and reimagined the contemporary dancescape, Vincent Projects now turns its attention to a different sound. Celestia, the new album, heads into more classic rock territory, but of the sort that links the likes of Jackson Browne and the seventies singer-songwriters with a more eighties sound, especially Don Henley‘s impressive solo career.
In fact, opener “Hold Me Through Thunder” could easily have been on the aforementioned Eagles‘ drummer’s brilliant Building the Perfect Beast album, the one that gave the world the iconic “Boys of Summer.” So, having set, not just the tone but the calibre of the songs, we are up and running.
Similarly, “Starlight Wrapped in Your Arms” is reminiscent of the ’80s, solo Stevie Nicks, a big, lush cinematic soundscape that ticks boxes for both rock music’s weight and pop sonic accessibility. “Never Look Back” has that wonderful blend of early electronica and old-school guitars, the same balance that kicked off the whole US AOR/classic rock radio revolution, something that you hear particularly well in the Lou Gramm-esque vocals.
But there is also room for the more understated, as proven by the final track, “Beyond Burning Skies,” a more spacious duet, its acoustic soundscape shot through with only the occasional guitar motif or synth wash.
Celestia feels like a tribute to an earlier time, a pioneering time, a time when members of more analogue-driven bands began to embrace the new technologies becoming available, creating a whole new, big, and sonically rich sound.
A great album, great songs, and also a great reminder of what has gone before, and, through albums such as this, what is being re-examined and re-appraised by today’s music makers.
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