Those of us within the Boston fandom are no strangers to having to wait for new music. From Don’t Look Back (1978) onwards, the band has averaged one new album every 8 years, except for Life, Love & Hope (2013), which came 11 years after Corporate America (2002). Next year will mark 10 years since the last Boston album, which means at the current rate, a new Boston album should arrive in 2024. I know it’s frustrating. Thankfully, there’s been no shortage of Boston-adjacent projects over the years to hold us over, or as I like to call them, “the Boston family tree”.
To start, there was guitarist Barry Goudreau’s 1980 self titled solo album, which featured Boston bandmates Brad Delp on vocals and Sib Hashian on drums. Goudreau and Delp continued to collaborate outside of Boston with bands like Orion the Hunter in the 80s and RTZ in the 90s, both vehicles more or less serving as companions to their main outfit, Boston. In the years since, Delp unfortunately passed and Goudreau exited the Boston fold altogether. There are, however, still Boston appetizers out there to satisfy our hunger until Tom Scholz cooks up the next main course, such as Dancing in the Moonlight, the debut solo album from current Boston singer, Tommy DeCarlo.
Separate from his namesake outfit DeCarlo, Dancing in the Moonlight is about as close to a Boston album today as one can get, at least aesthetically speaking. All of the signature tropes are present, from the gargantuan production and harmonizing guitar leads, to the sweet melodies and balance between rockers and ballads. It also helps that DeCarlo’s vocal delivery is eerily similar to Delp’s. Put all these traits together and you’ve got an album purposely molded in the image of Boston’s Third Stage (1986). At least that’s what I hear out of it. While Boston always remained Boston, there’s more of an 80s feel to this than 70s, if only for its emphasis on ballads.
Yes, whether it’s the pseudo-symphonic “Beyond Forever”, the nostalgic “The Road Will Lead to You”, or the adult contemporary friendly “No Surrender”, there’s no shortage of ballads on this release, all of which have the potential of being legitimate Boston ballads (Think “Amanda”, “Can’tcha Say (You Believe in Me) / Still in Love”, etc.) On the flip side of these gentle pieces are Boston’s equally signature, arena rock anthems. The lighthearted bliss of the opening title track sets the tone for a musical trip down memory lane, one that’s further emboldened by cuts like the uplifting “Life is Just a Game” and the overly energetic “Find the Love”.
Is Dancing in the Moonlight a Boston album? In spirit, yes, the same way past albums from Barry Goudreau, Orion the Hunter, RTZ, and any other offshoots I’m forgetting at the moment are. The ethos of the band has clearly grown into something much larger than Tom Scholz and Brad Delp (R.I.P.) themselves, and that’s something to be celebrated. Such influence and reach calls for a “Party”, and DeCarlo’s proudly hosting this one. While I hope the next time I hear his voice is on a Boston album proper, I certainly wouldn’t complain at the prospect of another solo outing.
7 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: AOR
For fans of: Boston, Orion the Hunter, RTZ