RATINGS: A = must own B = buy it C= average D = yawn F = puke

Robin Beck – Love Is Coming
Frontiers Records
http://www.frontiers.it

Rating: A+

It’s absolutely impossible to talk about AOR without mentioning Robin Beck, one of the most known and respected names in the genre. With a solid career spanning more than three decades, Beck is known not only for the powerful vocals but also for the sweeping interpretations that are characteristic of her classic works, but also registered in more recent albums. The sound is not the same - and shouldn’t be, anyway - but the quality of the recorded material is indisputable.

And this quality is abundant in "Love Is Coming," Robin Beck's newest effort and her first in four years. This work had the illustrious collaboration of none other than Clif Magness (another great name for the AOR universe and who’s back in the game with a long overdue new album in early 2018), besides veteran Tommy Denander and also the great James Christian. With a team of experienced musicians, great songs and an above-average vocalist, the end result couldn’t be anything but spectacular.

Not surprisingly, the album is loaded with overwhelming rockers and always with a radio-friendly aura, as seen on the powerful "Island" (one of the highlights of the album), on the exciting "On The Bright Side" and the explosive "Love Is Coming," all featuring a modern sound but without any excess. These are three songs worthy of multiple auditions and maximum volume, believe me.

Other awesome tunes include the great "Me Just Being Me" (another highlight of the album and one that reminds me of the best moments of Sass Jordan), "Lost" and the surprising "Crave The Touch", as well as the fantastic "Girl Like Me" (the greatest moment of the album, no doubt). All these songs deserve multiple auditions and maximum volume, as usual. And get ready for beautiful surprises while doing so...

But “Love Is Coming” also brings in more introspective moments, such as the ballads "In These Eyes" and "Here I Am" (both highlights of the album) and the mid-pacers "On To Something" and "Warrior", the latter easily being the second major highlight of the album. Maximum volume, multiple auditions and no moderation are recommended.

In short, my dear friends, "Love Is Coming" comes to ratify the already known quality of Robin Beck as an interpreter. In addition, the album definitively establishes the more contemporary direction her recent works have been following. The collaboration with Clif Magness (which produced the album with James Christian) adds a lot of value to the new album, with well-constructed songs that could only have been performed by someone like Robin Beck. There is no doubt that "Love Is Coming" will surprise some and captivate others, but in any case, the versatility, skill and vocal excellence of Robin Beck  are absolutely indisputable. In a time when many people talk about innovating and reinventing, Ms. Beck shows you how to do it. "Love Is Coming" is an absolutely mandatory purchase.

The album will hit stores on Oct. 13th, via Frontiers Records.

Tracklist
01 Island
02 On The Bright Side
03 In These Eyes
04 Love Is Coming
05 Me Just Being Me
06 On To Something
07 Lost
08 Crave The Touch
09 If You Only Knew
10 Here I Am
11 Girl Like Me
12 Warrior

By Juliano Mallon