Longing to good old 80's is so trending these days: nowadays we see TV shows winking to all the clichés of that period and how the future was imagined these years. It's funny to see the differences between how life in the 2010's was pictured and how it actually is: but what about hard rock? Would they have imagined actual evolution in rock? Don't fear, time traveler from the late 80's: you can always put on the vinyl plate a CINDERELLA, a WARRANT or one of the first GUNS N' ROSES records and here's 80's California popping out in front of you.

Or, you could just give a listen to this 'Imaginary Creatures' from KICKIN VALENTINA: all, from the monicker, to artworks, track titles, lyrics and band looks are a living tribute to sleazy-street rock, as we saw it in the US in the late 80's. All modern things are left behind, music and sound build a direct bridge to these years' mood and sonorities. To be honest luckily production and mixing are aligned to modern standards, with a strong and rich sound, unthinkable for less-than-great bands at the time.

By a time traveler angle, this KICKIN VALENTINA record is pretty convincing: most of the ideas, riffs and passages contained in the 10 tracks sound already heard before, but, still, the whole is like a reassuring old movie, you know all the puns and dialogues but still enjoy it. Singer Joe Edwards has the stained, raspy voice for this genre, polished by gallons of whiskey & cigarettes; Heber Pampillon is always ready to burst riffs while rhythm properly follows, keeping perfect time.

'Eyes' jumps us into a running and sleazy rock train, while 'Turns Me On' slows down a bit but it's still able to catch your ears, before getting you an invitation to grab the 'Devil's Hand', where Heber shows off his guitar skills at the center of the stage, supported by the smooth rhythmic sections given by Taylor at the bass and by drummer Berdine. 'Eat N'Run' notable guitar licks will transport you into the next 'Crazy', where the quartet slows things down into a ballad, where a crescendo from the acoustic guitar in the beginning blends properly with the other sections, coming up later. 'Street' will introduce in the mix a cheery piano along with female choirs, giving a special taste to this song. Female choirs appear again in the next 'Roll Ya One', supported by a slide guitar baseline. Catchy riffs will get you on 'Heartbreak' while 'Burning Love' Elvis' doesn't convince the listener. Hypnotic titletrack 'Imaginary Creatures' closes this 40mins voyage into the 80s dream.

'Imaginary Creatures' will not certainly go down in history as a must have or memorable record as it comes with a 30 year delay from when it really belongs: that doesn't mean that sleazy rock lovers or people who lived that joyful and laid-back period cannot enjoy this record and have a 40mins fun time.