West Alley – ‘A Night To Remember’

(Pride & Joy Music)

‘A Night To Remember’ may be West Alley’s debut album but the musicians behind it have a working relationship with its roots dating back to the Eighties. Given the quality of the performances and songwriting on display here I’m surprised these guys have never released anything before now. It also doesn’t fell like a debut album it comes across as a band very much in its flow and confident in its own sound, this could easily be mistaken for the bands third album. I think that may be testament to how these musicians work together they obviously gel cohesively and it shows in the professional performances and songwriting.

I’m loathe to use the term retro when describing these guys because I feel that may diminish what these songs sound like in people’s minds. That term though does apply as this album has a strong Eighties flavour, if you think of the overall Westcoast sound of that era West Alley rub shoulders with those acts perfectly. These songs are smooth and easy listening with atmospherics that are really calming and it’s a great album to chill out and relax with.

West Alley will definitely appeal to fans of the softer side of rock and for me personally they have some very heartfelt and relatable lyrics which suit the songs. Some may find it cliched but these songs never come across as cheesy or overblown, it’s always genuine and warm. The album features very accomplished musicianship and strong performances all round combined with some strong song writing it makes ‘A Night To Remember’ a very memorable listening experience.

Niclas Lundström’s Guitar work throughout the album is sublime with some extremely memorable melodic guitar licks and hooks. His work really does get under your skin and makes these songs really indelible which helps these songs stay with you long after you switch the album off. Magnus Björkroth’s vocals are really endearing and help accentuate to emotive atmospherics of the songs.

If you like Westcoast and bands like Toto and Chicago, West Alley will definitely be up your Alley! ‘A Night To Remember’ may not be an outstanding album but it is still a very memorable one which for me makes it an essential listen for genre fans. It may not be for everyone but anyone like myself who enjoys the softer side of rock and music that can be relaxing and emotionally evocative then this album is certainly for you.

7/10

Essential Track - 'Miracles Can Happen'

Review by Woody