Review by Rob Broom for MPM
American Jetset return with a triumphant upbeat album that has an arena filling high octane sound.
American Jetset first arrived on my radar care of the editor here at Metal Planet Music with their quality ‘Love Kills’ 4 track EP, three cuts of trashy sleazy rock and one song of decade defining brilliance called ‘Long Road To Nowhere’. They had my attention and I started a dive into the back catalogue. They followed that up in 2024 with the monstrous ‘1987’ album, a bombastic anthemic love letter to the 1980s combining (if you need a reference point) the best of Motley Crue meeting Ratt and Poison, hot off the Sunset Strip.
Since then, the band have been working hard on the road across the US, and recorded output has been limited to an excellent cover of Jackson Brownes ‘Running on Empty’, released earlier this year and a solo song from chief songwriter, guitarist and lead vocalist Ian Kaine Macgregor. However, this absence has been warranted as they have been sharing stages with the likes of Stephen Pearcy (Ratt), Steven Adler (Guns N’ Roses), Tom Keifer (Cinderella), Slaughter, Winger and Vixen, among others, so the time between visits to the studio has not been wasted as they have been building up the fanbase.
Now, after a frenzied few weeks in the studio, they have dropped onto our listening devices their latest work – the pulsating rock and roll blast of ‘Wild America’. Just like ‘1987’ this album is crammed with tunes, stories, memories and choruses that just make you want to smile and singalong!
As Ian Kaine Macgregor says “We spent most of our lives chasing fame, and somewhere along the way, the stories became more important than the destination. “We’ve seen decades of the best and worst of this world, but every moment is a part of who we are. That’s what this record is all about“
“Bigger choruses, layered textures, and songs soaked in the memories we’ve made over a lifetime of rock ‘n’ roll” adds drummer Jeff Bradford.
So, the stage is set, lets go!
After the short sharp opening sounds of ‘Destination Anywhere’ the album kicks off with ‘Bang! Bang!’ An up-tempo classy tuneful start, full of swagger and complete with a strutting riff from Skinz Skinsacos on lead guitar, pounding drums and a pulsing bass. What more could you ask for? Well, how about turning it up and singing along to the straight in your face fist pumping in the air chorus? We are immediately back driving down the Sunset Strip with the music blaring and singing along.
The next cut, ‘Radio Angel’, doesn’t let go of that Sunset Strip imagery, instead it ramps it up further with a sharp sound, evocative lyrics (got my leather and bracelets on, lets go, picked up the boys, got them screaming along) and another singalong chorus with ‘rock and roll they used to play on the radio‘, it just makes you want to keep driving, pounding the steering wheel in time with the radio blaring. This song is about being young and the dream of rock and roll. The middle section contains some cowbell from drummer Jeff Bradford and a guitar solo that’s just a perfect fit for a tune that captures the sound and story of an era.
With no let-up, the next track – ‘Little Midnight Girl’ – is a song that teases you, it poses and pouts as the story unfolds and the band hit some terrific harmonies along the way. The whole band contribute to backing vocals while Skinz Skinsacos and Ian Kaine Macgregor trade guitar licks. It is a song that conjures up memories and is mischievously smooth and fun.
Any song that starts with a spoken line ‘you boys ain’t from around here? are you?‘ suggests trouble is coming and the principal character of ‘Jet Black Gasoline’ seems to be full of it. There are some clever lyrics and more tremendous harmonies mixed with some downright down and dirty guitar solos! This is the lead single from the album.
After pumping through those first four crackers, the next track – ‘Vagabond Boulevard’ – has a brooding epic war cry of a buildup that could easily open a major arena rock show and then drops into the sleazy power that dripped across three of the four cuts from the Love Kills EP. Underpinned by a throbbing bass line from Kevin Harrington and Jeff Bradfords sterling drum work, the song riffs and twists along with tremendous twin guitar interplay before ending as it starts. Epic.
Then without time to catch your breath, ‘Stay Gold’ bounds out of the speakers like a thoroughbred racehorse containing some tremendously well-crafted lyrics by Ian Kaine Macgregor, worthy of the great rock and roll songwriters and story tellers. You can feel the emotion and story imbedded here and the rest of the band back it up with style and class making the whole piece come alive. This is a song about real life (‘well mum and dad are gone but still we hold on, to echoes of a time we call home’) and it captures the very best of the Bon Jovi sound blended with the Cheap Trick power pop trip with a slab of Jackson Browne rolled in for good measure.
Penultimate track ‘Wild Gypsy Heart’ is a slower power tune that enables you to raise your lighters (or camera phones) into the air and sway along to the glorious towering chorus and harmonies. The vocal work captures the feeling and passion perfectly and the band have a real swing to their delivery.
For the final track ‘Post Card No 9’ the band decide to have a bit of fun. The needle drops into the scratchy old record, and we can all sit on the porch, strum our guitars and singalong with the catchy ‘we are getting wild America’, but for live performances the band need to add a reprise at the end and really riff it up to blow the doors off! Just saying!
American Jetset have put an immense amount of effort into these songs and their creation. The performances are excellent throughout. There is a HUGE sound here that the band and producer Tony Correlli can be proud of. Couple that with the power contained within the grooves and ‘Wild America’ deserves to light up the airwaves worldwide.
Live, these songs are going to be killer, there is no filler here, each song is chock full of awesome hooks and just great for radio airplay or dominating the live arena. ‘Wild America’ rewards repeated listening as the layered guitar sound and those thundering choruses worm their way even deeper into your memory!
(Yet, perversely, like an obsessive stalker that won’t go away it is that closing ‘good old boys’ singalong tune of ‘Post Card No 9’ with its ‘Wild America’ chorus line that somehow lingers in my head!)
A famous musician once said rock is dead and there was no point making new music. Thankfully American Jetset missed the memo. They are not trading on faded glories or egos, American Jetset are dragging the classic ‘Sunset Strip’ hard rock music sound kicking and screaming towards the next decade almost singlehandedly. While they are honouring the music and memories that poured from the Sunset Strip, they are still constantly looking forward with a modern fresh sound rammed with passion and energy that they are also delivering to stages across America and beyond.
Plenty of US dates are planned to support the album and in September 2027 the band will make their UK debut at the HRH Sleaze X festival on its 10th anniversary. Let us hope they fit in some more UK and European dates and are embraced in the same way as the UK took Twisted Sister under its wing back in the 1980s, because American Jetset certainly fully deserve it! I’ll see you down in the front row.
Wild America is completely infectious and essential for your stereo, car or streaming device of choice. Play it now and play it loud!
Track Listing
1 Destination Anywhere
2 Bang! Bang!
3 Radio Angel
4 Little Midnight Girl
5 Jet Black Gasoline
6 Vagabond Boulevard
7 Stay Gold
8 Wild Gypsy Heart
9 Postcard No 9
Album Credits: Produced by Tony Correlli and Ian Kaine Macgregor. Engineered and Mastered by Tony Correlli. Recorded at Deep End Studio (Baltimore, MD). Ian Kaine Macgregor (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Skinz Skinsacos (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals), Kevin Harrington (Bass, Backing Vocals), Jeff Bradford (Drums, Backing Vocals). Additional background vocals by Athena Hiotis, Kevin Flynn, and Ryan Flynn and Athena Hiotis. Synths and piano by Tony Correlli.
Released on Golden Robot Records in a variety of formats – November 6th 2026
