Gardner James – No Strings
Release Date: 9th June 2023
Label: Pavement Entertainment
Order/Stream
Genre: Hair Metal, Hard Rock, Glam Rock/Metal.
FFO: Vixen, Whitesnake, Heart, Warlock, Doro, Lee Aaron.
Review By: Mark Waight
If, like me, you are a fan of nostalgia and those fantastic glam and hair metal days of the 80s, then No Strings by Gardner James is just what the doctor ordered. There is not a brutal vocal anywhere within hearing distance of No Strings, just good old-fashioned clean vocals that you can sing-along to and rock out with to your hearts content!
Gardner James style may be old school, but the sound is fabulously refreshing and new, giving it an across the generations appeal. Old rockers like me will absolutely love it because of the memories around those much simpler times it will reignite, and the younger fans will find it new, exciting and totally different to anything on their current playlists.
Gardner James is ex-Vixen frontwoman Janet Gardner and her songwriting partner, guitarist Justin James. No Strings is the follow-up to their superb 2020 album, Synergy.
The crackly opening to I’m Living Free gives it that nostalgic, listening to vinyl retro feel, before it blooms and grows into a banging bluesy hard rock anthem. Gardner James know exactly what their listeners want to hear and exactly how to deliver it! Turn the Page, on the other hand, is a riff laden tune that lifts your heart rate, raises your spirits and there is also a darn good guitar solo thrown in for good measure. Just over 4 minutes of pure indulgent musical pleasure!
85 spirits you right back in time with an insight into those days of youthful innocence, and for those of us who grew up in the 80s, it is a truly great song that captures the moment perfectly. Life was great back then, and we were having the time of our lives listening to some of the best bands in history, Vixen being one of them.
Title track, No Strings, is a sweet slow melody with beautiful and emotional vocals helping to deliver a real tearjerker of a tune. They just don’t make songs like this anymore, well until now!
Don’t Turn Me Away begins softly with an acoustic passage before the pressure builds, and it alternates between the two before finally letting loose. A clever and wonderfully crafted traditional rock song! High tempo track Set Me Free is the perfect blend of sing-along vocals and deft guitar work that ticks every box and then some! This is mighty fine music that is guaranteed to reach into the very fabric of your soul.
Hold On to You is a superb, heart-wrenching ballad where the feelings and emotions are completely exposed for everyone to hear via Janet Gardner’s stunning vocals. Her partner Justin James’s delivers a divinely tender guitar solo, which weeps in perfect harmony of pain and sympathy with the vocals. What an awesome and powerful song!
Rock out with Into the Night! Break out your air guitar or get your hands in the air and sing-along with the super infectious chorus. This is the perfect tonic to lift you up once again. Foot stomper, I’m Not Sorry, is another corker that will get your pulse raised and have you singing along with the band. If you’re not, then I don’t want to worry you, but you may be dead!
The mellow and laid-back track You’ll See, smoothly glides along at quite a fast pace without ever needing to have a harder edge to it. It is a super cool summer offering with a more commercial appeal outside the realms of Rock and Metal.
She Floats Away, oozes that blues/country sound with a gentle riff that slowly picks up during its journey. There is also a neat keyboard undertone to the tune that further enhances that southern thread. If you are ever in need of a drinking song, then Drink is it! I defy anyone not to sing-along after a few beers, I tried and failed! What a great way to close off an album – cheers!
No Strings is a banger of an album from start to finish, and I’m putting my money where my mouth is and ordering myself a copy right now. Gardner James have used all their years of experience to deliver a top-quality listening experience because they know exactly what people want to hear and how to present it. I know it’s sometimes cool to experiment with different concepts but in my humble opinion “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is also a good motto to follow and in this case very relevant! Guys, keep doing what you are doing, as you totally Rock!!!
(4.5 / 5)
