Musically from where I sit, Sapphire Eyes sit in that same headspace as a band like Miss Behaviour, another Swedish band that sound similar and deliver like minded results.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Sapphire Eyes
ALBUM: Magic Moments
LABEL: Pride And Joy Records
SERIAL: PJM 122
YEAR: 2020
SPONSOR: Germusica
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Sweden, Finland
LINEUP: Kimmo Blom – lead vocals * Niclas Olsson – keyboards * Emil Knabe – guitars * Patrik Svord – guitars * Christer Engholm – bass * Fredrik Eriksson – drums
Additional Musicians: Anette Olzon – chorus vocals (#7)
TRACK LISTING: 01 Still Alive * 02 Don’t Walk Away * 03 I Never Meant To Hurt You * 04 Magic Moment * 05 Do You Think About Us * 06 Just Leave Me * 07 Bring Back The Night * 08 As The Days Go By * 09 Cutting Like A Knife * 10 Only The Night * 11 All I Need Is To Hold You
RATING: 90/100
WEBLINKS: FB Page
Background
We wind the clock back to the start of this century to discover the origins of this band. They were originally called Alyson Avenue and we’ve tracked their course through time, ultimately ending up with Sapphire Eyes which came together in 2012.
Thw keyboard laden themes are rife with this band, all thanks to principle songwriter and keyboardist Niclas Olsson. SE are now up to album number three, following soon after their 2018 album ‘Breath Of Life’. They’ve been pretty stable now for some years, and are content on delivering Scandi AOR the way that most of us here at Glory Daze like it.
The Songs
Musically from where I sit, Sapphire Eyes sit in that same headspace as a band like Miss Behaviour, another Swedish band that sound similar and deliver like minded results. Strong on keyboards backed by solid guitars and soaring vocals.
This is evidenced by the pumping opener ‘Still Alive’, and here the distinctive vocals of Finnish vocal king Kimmo Blom comes to the fore. However it’s the driving synth pattern on the verses and the parping synth swells on the verses which dominate.
‘Don’t Walk Away’ is just lush, sounding as if it was written for one of the Frontiers projects like Khymera or Place Vendome for instance. ‘I Never Meant To Hurt You’ is the template to all Scandi AOR and I’m sure songs similar to this have aired themselves over the last three decades.
The title track is next, ‘Magic Moment’ which is an OK track but lacks for a bit of adventure. ‘Do You Think About Us’ contains some nice touches, this is much better with a hint of their material from the Alyson Avenue era.
‘Just Leave Me’ straddles the ballad fence but only just, whereas ‘Bring Back The Night’ featuring Anette Olzon on chorus vocals contains a magnetic synth motif that just attracts your aural senses like a honey-bee. Love it.
‘As The Days Go By’ is a racier affair, pulsing away to great effect, with guitars and synths provided a rich backdrop. Gotta love the pumping keys which announce ‘Cutting Like A Knife’, which is kind of offset by the acoustic guitar rhythms on the verses. But don’t despair AORsters, this track holds up well overall.
‘Only The Night’ gives us more melodic goodness, and even though it’s toward the end of the album, interest is not lost, which is a good sign. The closer ‘All I Need Is To Hold You’ is a piano based ballad, which signs off in a gentle manner, highlighting thr vocals of Kimmo Blom once more.
In Summary
I’ve always enjoyed the work of Niclas Olsson and this album is no different. If anything Sapphire Eyes are sounding even more AOR than before, and this should be right up the alley of many Glory Daze regulars.
Rest assured, if you are an Scandi AOR diehard, then ‘Magic Moments’ should be on your playlist or buy-list, whichever one. The keyboard work is killer, but so is the rest of the music on board. I give it a 9.
Video
Do You Think About Us (Music Video)
Magic Moment (Lyric Video)
