HONEYMOON SUITE – Alive

Alive by the Canadian melodic rockers Honeymoon Suite was an album that I had looked forward to receiving and reviewing, and the cool thing is that it did not disappoint. Featuring some superb guitar work, excellent keyboard atmospherics, a tight and energetic rhythm section, and not least a great vocal performance by lead singer Johnnie Dee, the record is a perfectly entertaining romp through the best aspects and elements of what the AOR and melodic rock genres offer. Memorable is the keyword throughout and these gentlemen perform the material with such conviction and authority that you cannot help getting sucked into their spirited sphere of pleasant and catchy music. The production is also top notch in that everything is nicely balanced and that each instrument gets to shine. On top of that, a solid amount of crunch has been added to the sound, which makes this feel less glossy than so many other stylistically related outputs and releases. There is an air of optimism and a sense of vitality to Alive that make for a pleasant listening experience. Highlights such as ‘Livin’ Out Loud’, ‘Find What You’re Looking For’, ‘Done Doin Me’, ‘Tell Me What You Want‘, and the CD bonus track titled ‘New Girl Now’ – all of which are rather groovy – are simply irresistible and good company on any given day.