Review | Streetlight – Night Vision

Frontiers Music Srl

`Night Vision’ of Streetlight is a shining beacon in the modern AOR/melodic rock landscape. The Swedish outfit‘s sophomore effort builds upon the success of their highly acclaimed debut, delivering a polished and captivating collection of tracks that harken back to the golden age of melodic rock. Though the debut never managed to catch my attention, this first introduction is making me look for it. `Night Vision’ is a sonically lighter version of The Night Flight Orchestra’s offerings and also manages to ignite the fires of the melodic past.

A COHESIVE OVERALL SOUND

Led by Johannes Hager‘s powerful vocals and stellar guitar work, Streetlight crafts a sound that is both nostalgic and fresh. The songs are all insanely crisp and dynamic, with the production transparent and shiny. Allowing each instrument to shine it maintains cohesive overall sound that is classic as it is modern. The guitar work is extremely interesting and often grips into the likes of Neal Schon and more shred-related guitarists like Paul Gilbert, with soaring solos and chunky riffs that will satisfy even the most discerning metal heads and hard rockers leaning on heavier hooks.

Lyrically, `Night Vision’ explores familiar 80s and 90s themes of love, loss, and perseverance, but does so with a maturity and depth that elevates it above many of its contemporaries. Steering clear of the cliches from that era, the band impresses with slight twists in their delivery, adding to the modern approach. The songwriting is tight and focused, with each track offering memorable hooks and choruses that will have listeners singing along after just a few spins. It is slick as it is powerful, gracious as much as dazzling. While `Night Vision’ maintains a consistent quality throughout, to me the constant pace does lose some momentum towards its closing act. However, this minor issue and doesn’t detract from the overall experience, especially for fans of the genre.

RADIO-FRIENDLY ROCKERS

Standout tracks like the wonderful slick ,,Long-Distance Runner”, ,,Sleep Walk” with its Creye bite,  and ,,Late Night Hollywood” with its drizzling keys showcase the band’s ability to craft radio-friendly rockers alongside more introspective ballads like the intense ,,Where did We go”, and ditto slow mover ,,Learn to Love again”, with its weeping guitar melodies and solo bliss.

,,Leanna” blends Toto jazzy structures with insanely wonderful guitar melodies, while the vocal melodies immediately nests, and ,,Fly with Eagles” borders with Journey on its vocal delivery and soaring guitars raining into the mix. Absolutely marvellous is ,,End Game”, which blends Toto’s intricate structures with the insanely melodic keenness of Europe and other Scandinavian melodic acts from the 80s. The faster paced, (rather clinical) ,,Captured in the Night” and the double kicked ,,Straight to Video” display the band’s fresh approach in melodic wallop, with the song featuring a heavy thick groove and wonderful vocal harmonies atop multiple melodies deployed throughout.

STREETLIGHT – THE CONCLUSION

`Night Vision’ firmly establishes Streetlight as one of the best AOR bands in the current scene. For fans of classic melodic rock acts like Journey, Survivor, and Toto, this album is a must-listen. It successfully bridges the gap between the genre’s heyday and the present, proving that there’s still plenty of life left in this beloved style of music.

In a landscape often dominated by harder-edged rock and metal, Streetlight’s `Night Vision’ is a refreshing reminder of the enduring appeal of well-crafted, melodic rock. It’s an album that not only pays homage to the past but also carves out its own identity, ensuring that the torch of AOR continues to burn brightly into the future.

Release date: 14 March 2025