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SONIC STATION
Next Stop

Avenue Of Allies (2014)
Rating: 8/10

Like a lot of contemporary AOR bands, Swedish sextet Sonic Station have their heads very much buried in that summery, late night style of 80s rock. Y’know the sort: easy on the ears, gorgeously melodic, soft to the touch, fluffy throughout and anthemic. It’s a style of music that has never really died out – a lull in one country proving to be a gain for another with such instant tunes mesmerising millions.

Okay, so the 80s was the era for such glorious harmonies, and some acts could be accused of simply trying to mimic an era that is still being graced by its original, irreplaceable stars, but I’ve yet to hear a contemporary act suffering at the hands of mimicry because usually the songs are so darn good.

Sonic Station are another top-notch, pleasant sounding combo who have just released their second album, Next Stop, which was promoted by the digital single ‘Amelia’ and showcasing the effortless, dreamy vocals of Johan Boding, who takes lead on eight of the ten tracks here.

Beginning with ‘Amelia’ we’re treated to a breezy, laid-back type of joint that has just enough pace to tickle the ears and made all the more spacious by the licks of guitarist Alexander Kronbrink, who takes the melody of the song to new heights. But it’s a song, and an album pretty much summed up by a certain set of lyrics spouted by Boding. “Smooth as a summer breeze, hot like a burning fire, you’ll put yourself at ease” is a gorgeous line of positivity accompanied by the sumptuous backing vocals of Marika Willstedt, while the track is driven by the percussion of Thorleif Robertsson and the keyboards of Jonathan Fritzén.

Like so many contemporary AOR albums there is a rich list of guest appearances too with the album boasting five sets of backing vocalists throughout, while Marika Willstedt takes lead on the throbbing gallop of ‘Brighter After Dark’, the slow-building ‘Where Are You Now’ – with its easy-going, lounge-like tinkle and plod – plus my favourite track on the opus, closer ‘Hide And Seek’ with its swirling opening and powerful, dramatic chorus.

But Next Stop has so much to offer in the melodic stakes, and it’s certainly far from being a sugary rock opus. Although the likes of ‘Catch Me if You Can’ offer a harder edge, there’s a sultry pop jerk to ‘Stopped Beating’, while ‘Fool For Your Love’ is a beautiful ballad built around a lush piano arrangement.

As a composer, Alexander Kronbrink – who also provides those majestic synths – appears second to none at the moment, effortlessly carving out a batch of momentous tunes that should appeal to music fans around the world. Whether it’s stunning love songs or tenser episodes of melody and extravagance, Kronbrink is the sort of musician who should be attracting the attention of big names because with the team he’s assembled here, Next Stop is a truly delightful spoonful of AOR that boasts some of the best talent Sweden has to offer.

Neil Arnold

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