Jeff Scott Soto: Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)

Three long whole years have advanced since the latest distribution of any solo contribution from the dulcetly-accomplished methodical Melodic Rock vocalist Jeff Scott Soto and amiably-so in 2020 we are fortuitously treated with his seventh solitary output in the virtuously-establishing shape of the distinctively designated Wide Awake (In My Dreamland); quintessentially sounding like a euphoniously fitting construction that marvelously resonates as a classic-era Hard Rock record that would ideally sit well in the prolific Hair Metal and AOR generation of the eighties.

Principally, my experience of the music career of the Brooklyn born Mr Soto has been mostly with his monumentally-impressive side-project W.E.T or the proficiently-spectacular prog maestros of Sons of Apollo and in addition to having some considerable recognition of his powerfully-robust works fronting elegantly the likes of the Melodic Rock/AOR behemoths Journey or the superlatively-voguish shred king Yngwie J Malmsteen. However, in this distinct period of time Jeff is accompanied by the multi-accomplished Italian Hardline, Jorn and Voodoo Circle singer-songwriter Alessandro Del Vecchio assembling along with his harmonious weaponry of the keyboards as he constructively combines an enterprising portfolio of solidified tracks to attentively create compositions in a slowly-growing manner and a solidified format to keep things moving along smoothly; hoping to gain some momentum from another successful release and melodious production.

In the ultimate reality of this, the record standing on its own feet comes across as an unstably projected ride of a contemporary-era outlet that monumentally suffers a bit in a moody cloudy midst of what it actually wants to elegantly achieve and with it progressing away further it diverts from what it wants to favourably bring to the table. Moreover, ethically I find that the foothold of this record resonates to comes across quite bland in the transportation at certain points and times that notably does not consistently conjure up anything to fundamentally write home about like in the uninterestingly formatted title-track ‘Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)’, the monotonous verse cycle of the lacklustre harvest of ‘Love’s Blind’ and the predictably written haulage single of ‘Without You’, therefore it lacks that lustrous pointed edge of the knife blade that usually relates to the whimsical musical chambers that Soto usually delivers consistently on other all his past efforts and Jeff’s vocals suffer a bit to be a on the flatter side; nonetheless melodically-charming tracks like the “sparks will fly� spirited opener ‘Someone to Love’ and the deliciously-sleazy riff monster ‘Love Will Find A Way’ are enough to get the Hard Rocking fanatically-ferocious flock in the mood.

Also, further highlights to take note of come in the more admiring and accomplishing form of the solidly-established numbers of the reasonably-catchy output of ‘Paper Wings’ and the sophisticatedly punchy episode of ‘Mystified’; thoroughly downgrading the expectations of what we usually get from a Scott Soto experience and offering, even though we get an added bonus disc of live material to add to the bandwagon from Vecchio and Jeff in the meantime. Maybe next time we will encounter a more congruous endeavour from the man himself when the Melodic Rock roundabout swings around town again in the hopeful near future.

Track Listing

1. Someone to Love
2. Mystified
3. Love’s blind
4. Without You
5. Lesson of Love
6. Paper Wings
7. Love Will Find A Way
8. Between the Lines
9. Living in a Dream
10. Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)
11. Desperate

Added: December 13th 2020
Reviewer: James Mannion
Score:
Related Link: Artist Facebook Page
Hits: 1245
Language: english

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