It’s been a few years since we last heard from the original voice of Vixen, Janet Gardner. In the thick of the pandemic, with the help of her creative and life partner, Justin James, she released her strongest solo outing to date with Synergy. While her first two albums, Janet Gardner (2017) and Your Place in the Sun (2019), came off as misguided attempts at modern rock, Synergy was a throwback to the melodic hard and heavy sound that made us fall in love with Gardner in the first place. And since her former band hasn’t released an album in this vein since *checks calendar* 1990, Synergy itched a much needed scratch for this self admitted Vixen votary.
Fast forward a few years later and Synergy almost feels like an appetizer in comparison to her latest album, No Strings. Clearly noting the fanfare Synergy received, Gardner and James doubled down on the old school musical and songwriting approach for album #4. Whereas shades of modernity appeared sporadically throughout Synergy, there are none to be found on No Strings. Whether it be the rockers, ballads, or outliers in between, every song on here is proudly forged in the flame of 80s hard rock and heavy metal.
On the heavier side of the spectrum are cuts like “I’m Living Free”, “Turn the Page”, and my choice cut, “Set Me Free”. James unleashes some meaty riffs and ripping solos on these stunning slabs of melodic metal bliss. “Set Me Free” in particular sounds like a lost Vixen single circa ’89, not just in the delivery, but the overtly retro atmosphere. There’s no doubt in my mind that it will be among my most played songs of 2023. The same can be said for “85” and “Into the Night”, with their subtle balance between slick earworm hooks and a precious metallic attack.
When they aren’t banging their Aquanet doused heads like the old days (OK, maybe I’m exaggerating there), Gardner and James showcase a wide variety of classic styles, but with finesse and muscle. “Hold On to You” and “You’ll See” boast the glossy sheen of Desmond Child penned Heart tunes that could be played on both rock and adult contemporary radio. “She Floats Away” is a rootsy acoustic rocker in the vein of Tesla, and “Don’t Turn Me Away” is primo AOR balladry. Closing it all out is the simplistically rowdy “Drink”: A number that dares you not to turn up and drink up.
There are no strings holding back No Strings. Alongside Justin James, Janet Gardner is doing what she wants and having a blast doing so. Clearly her heart lies in the hard and heavy heyday of the 80s, otherwise she wouldn’t still be pulling it off so well. Her voice hasn’t lost a touch of its charm, and with a no-nonsense band in tow, there’s no telling what Gardner and company are capable of in the future. For our sake, let’s hope it’s more live shows and another album before 2026!
7 out of 10
Label: Pavement Music
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: Vixen, Lee Aaron, Heart