Review by Andy Houghton for MPM
Canadian rock singer Lee Aaron has had an impressively long career in rock music. Her first album, ‘Metal Queen’, was released by in 1984, giving rise to the Metal Queen nickname by which she’s often been known.
Indeed, Lee Aaron itself isn’t her real name – born Karen Greening, she joined a local rock group called ‘Lee Aaron’ at the age of fifteen, and adopted the band’s name as her stage moniker.
‘Radio On!’ is Aaron’s 14th album, and it’s one that we all desperately need to hear as we emerge from the dark days of the pandemic: a strength giving, heart lifting celebration of brighter days ahead and all those beautiful memories of summers past.
The whole of ‘Radio On!’ was written over a single weekend, and the intensity of those couple of days has been distilled into a parcel of pure rock ‘n’ roll sunshine. From the opening swagger of ‘Vampin’ it’s clear that this album is going to be a lot of fun, and the band sound like they’re having the time of their lives. The instrumentals bristle with energy and passion, and Aaron is on top form as her vocals display a depth and range that rivals anything she’s released before.
Album highlights include the Suzi Quatro-esque ‘Mama Don’t Remember’ with its well-crafted lyrics and tidy guitar solo, the short and sassy ‘Russian Doll’, and ‘C’mon’, with its pop-rock jauntiness. Meanwhile, ‘Wasted’ stands out for its emotional depth and delicacy, which then switches mid-track into an anthemic belter of a song, while closing track ‘Twenty One’ draws the album to a close with a beautiful blend of stirring lyrics and smooth instrumentals.
With decades of experience under her belt, Lee Aaron knows how to craft and deliver a great rock song. This may be album number fourteen, but there’s no sign of any let up in her commitment and enthusiasm. ‘Radio On!’ crackles with energy throughout all its twelve tracks, and it’s packed with smart lyrics and great riffs. Perfect listening for a sunny summer afternoon.
Line-up:
Lee Aaron | Vocals
Dave Reimer | Bass
Sean Kelly | Guitar
John Cody | Drums
Tracklisting:
1.Vampin’
2.Soul Breaker
3.C’mon
4.Mama Don’t Remember
5.Radio On
6.Soho Crawl
7.Devil’s Gold
8.Russian Doll
9.Great Big Love
10.Wasted
11.Had Me At Hello
12.Twenty One
‘Radio On!’ is released on July 23rd, 2021 by Metalville Records.
Website: https://www.leeaaron.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeeAaronMusic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeeAaronMusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leeaaron.music/
