A true sign of artistry is metamorphosis, and there’s been no shortage of it in the 40 year career of Lee Aaron. After bursting onto the scene in 1982 with her debut album, she quickly proclaimed herself the “Metal Queen”. By the late 80s, she shifted gears towards AOR: a career move that was met with both critical and commercial acclaim. The early 2000s saw her make an unexpected foray into the world of jazz, before returning to her roots full circle in the mid 2010s.
Mind you, I’m not talking about the studded leather metallic gleam of Aaron’s 80s metal heyday, but rather the stadium shaking hard rock bands of the 70s that shaped her musical taste and direction. Aaron discussed these bands in great detail with me. We seem to forget that our favorite stars of the 80s were once starry eyed fans of the 70s, buying up records from the likes of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, UFO, Boston, Heart, Foreigner, and so on. Such homage to the glory days of rock n’ roll is on full display on Aaron’s latest album, Radio On!
Radio On! continues Aaron’s streak of honest straightforward hard rock albums. It doesn’t get more blunt than the opening cut, “Vampin'”. A gutsy rocker with a Zeppelin flavored riff and Aaron’s signature empowering lyrics, “Vampin'” kicks off this affair on a high note. It sets the tone for the pop rock simplicity of “Cmon”, the Stonesian (there’s a new adjective for you music critics) swagger of “Soho Crawl”, and the melodic prowess of one of my favorite cuts, “Soul Breaker”. From Aaron’s Ann Wilson-esque vocal delivery, to its gritty guitar work, “Soul Breaker” sounds like a lost song from Heart’s Little Queen era. I mean this with the utmost respect.
The second half of Radio On! is mostly as strong as the first, although with a few curveballs. “Devil’s Gold” is the album’s first unexpected surprise: an ominous ballad with southern flair and spine chilling lyrics. “Twenty One” closes the album on a gentle nostalgic note, while another one of my favorite cuts, “Russian Doll”, combines the musical and lyrical quirks of Cheap Trick. You can never go wrong with hard rocking power pop!
The dynamic interplay between Aaron and guitarist Sean Kelly dominates from beginning to end, making this already strong collection of songs even stronger. Radio On! bridges the gap between new and old school without coming off as a blatant rehash of anything before it. It’s genuinely fresh and rocks harder than a swift kick to the rear end. That being said, Lee Aaron is not responsible for any injuries that may ensue while listening to this album.
7 out of 10
Label: Metalville
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: Heart, Pat Benatar, Led Zeppelin