Gary Hughes

Waterside FRONTIERS

Ten frontman’s first solo album since 2007.

It’s been heartening to see Gary Hughes enjoying a resurgence with melodic hard rockers Ten in the past decade, after the band boldly stuck to their guns musically in the musically hostile climate of the 90s and early 00s.

Hughes was equally steadfast as a solo artist, and Waterside

continues in the AOR direction he’s known for, with Ten guitarist Dan Rosingana on hand to add weighty riffs and eloquent solos. Hughes’s smoky, lower-register vocal tone cuts a distinctive dash within the genre, his power and control impressing on both up-tempo rockers (Seduce Me, The Runaway Damned) and melodramatic ballads (When Love Is Done). His songwriting deftly avoids AOR cookie-cutter cliches, and although occasional moments have an air of familiarity (Lay Down), Waterside

itself freshens things up with a country-rock influence.

A feast for fans, an ideal primer for the uninitiated. ■■■■■■■■■■