Palace – Binary Music

6/10

Who said 80’s AOR was dead? Palace is the love child of swedish multiinstrumentalist Michael Palace (who of course plays most of the instruments himself) and provides AOR with a really smooth 80’s feeling. It’s the kind of music you’d expect from Night Ranger or the soundtrack of a classic 80’s movie! It’s nice and never afraid to go too much pop. In fact, when it goes pop, it turns great! I’m a sucker for the really sweet songs, such as the happy sugar rush “Love Songs” or the unembarrasely poppy “Queen of the Prom”, undoubtably my favourite songs on the album.

But in the end, it’s hard for a band like this to escape the cheap nostalgia-mark. Palace kind of does, seeing how the songs are good, but they are still close. “Binary Music” wouldn’t stick out that much if it came out in the years the sound is aiming for. It’s good and all, there are just greater 80’s AOR albums out there. But if you’re looking for another one worth hearing that you haven’t heard before, this is absolutely worth a couple of spins.

Band: Palace
Title: Binary Music
Label: Frontiers
Date of release: 7/11-18
Time: 39,14
Rate: 6/10
Stand out tracks: Love Songs