SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: HONEYMOON SUITE – WAKE ME UP WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN

HONEYMOON SUITE
WAKE ME UP WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN
FRONTIERS MUSIC SRL

Honeymoon Suite are back with their ninth studio album. Wake Me Up When The Sun Goes Down is a great album. It may even surprise some people who have not kept up with the band and their harder sound. Wake Me Up When The Sun Goes Down is a quality, hard rock album with the occasional power ballad. Honeymoon Suite has always written very melodic and instantly accessible music. That has changed, it is just a bit rockier, and it works.

Honeymoon Suite’s line-up is pretty much the same from the 1980s. The band went through some changes during the 1990s, but they reunited in 2007 and have pretty much remained the same since. Johnnie Dee (lead vocals), Derry Grehan (guitars / keyboards / backing vocals), Dave Betts (drums), Gary Lalonde (bass) and the only new member, Peter Nunn (keyboards) who has been with the band since 2002.

The album opens with “I Fly”, which sets the stage for the whole album. It has a strong melody, powerful vocals and expert playing. Tasteful guitar solos with a hard driving rhythm section is the order of the day, and this band delivers. Greham’s solo in this song and “Stay This Time” are just two examples of his ability to burst out, and to keep his solo short but compelling and dynamic. Betts’ drumming is stellar, with “Crazy Life” being a great example. He works well with Lalonde, and the end result is a band that is tight and produces an incredible sound.

Nunn is front and centre for the ballad on the album, “Way Too Fast”, which is a truly beautiful song. It is catchy and slowly builds to a great climatic ending. Again, Dee demonstrates his ability to shift from the harder rock songs to a more subdued sound. He is a great vocalist. The band has some fun on the album as well. “Unpredictable” has a southern groove, with very tasteful slide guitar.

Wake Me Up When The Sun Goes Down is a very strong album. Honeymoon Suite has developed over the years, and this is clearly not just a 1980s redo. This is a band that keeps growing and developing their sound. It is also the sound of a band that works together and seems to be having fun in the process. Fans of the band will, no doubt, enjoy Wake Me Up When The Sun Goes Down, but they may even attract some new listeners and fans.

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