Holy hot tamale Batman! Did the members of Toto really pull a KISS and drop solo albums on the same day? Yes they did. While guitarist Steve Lukather released the fantastic guitar driven I Found the Sun Again, longtime singer Joseph Williams arrives with the eclectic Denizen Tenant. Unlike Lukather’s album which came together abnormally fast, Williams’ album took some time to develop and it shows. Furthermore, the Toto-isms are far and few in between. While Williams’ vocal delivery and melodic sensibility may be rooted in the days of yore, from a production and musical standpoint, Denizen Tenant is a product of the modern age.
The album opens with one of my favorite cuts, “Never Saw You Coming”. AOR goes jazzy new age? You’ve got it in all its unorthodox glory. If 80s Foreigner and Toto had a baby, it would be this song. “Never Saw You Coming” is also one of the few tracks that predominantly spotlights guitars. Other songs in this vein are “Liberty Man” and “Remember Her”, the latter featuring a guest solo from none other than Mr. Lukather. Aside from sporadic moments throughout, the rest of Denizen Tenant largely focuses on keyboard centric sounds and Williams’ dynamic vocal range.
Much of the album combines the sophistication of Gaucho era Steely Dan with the sun soaked smoothness of Kenny Loggins. This style can be heard on the title track, “Black Dahlia”, and “The Dream”. Properly pinning down these songs are quite the task. They’re too serious to be labelled yacht rock, but too lightweight to be labelled jazz rock, sophisti-pop, or whatever the hell music Donald Fagen plays. And while I’d promise you this is the first and last time you’ll be reading about “sophisti-pop” on a metal site, well, stranger things have happened.
Perhaps Denizen Tenant‘s musical ambiguity is its purpose. Forget labels and adjectives and all that critical gobbledygook. Instead, sit back and take a second to appreciate just how talented of a vocalist Williams is. There’s no better example than the jazzy piano ballad, “No Lessons”. As a singer myself, the hair on the back of my neck can’t help but standup at Williams’ vocal power and control.
Aside from a couple songs that rely too heavily on the new age aesthetic (“Wilma Fingadoux”, “Don’t Give Up”), Denizen Tenant is one of the most enjoyable and unique adult contemporary albums of recent years. Williams’ vocals shine from beginning to end; soothing, but not sappy. If you’re looking to decompress, pour yourself a martini, pop your collar, and put on Denizen Tenant. What can I say? Even the most ardent metal maniacs need a break from stratospheric vocals, gigantic guitars, and gut rumbling riffs every now and then.
6 out of 10
Label: Mascot Records
Genre: Adult Contemporary
For fans of: Toto, Steely Dan, Kenny Loggins