Swedish Hard Rock band BACKYARD BABIES formed in 1989 originally, which was a surprise to me since I'd never heard of them until quite recently. It would certainly explain their polished sound which reminded me of that unique time period in the late '80s and early '90s when Hard Rock bands of this type were numerous. Those were good times for me so it was quite nice to be reminded of them in such a great way.

The opening track, "Good Morning Midnight," starts out with a deceptively stripped down intro before turning into a full-blown rocker with a great Punk undertone to it. In fact, IGGY POP did enter my mind briefly while I listened to it. Like many of his songs this one makes you want to move. It's got a good sound to it as well as being a lot of fun to listen to; I probably drove my husband crazy since I hit the "repeat" option several times, and I'm NOT sorry, haha. The following song, "Simple Being Sold," is world-weary at its' core yet sounds inspired and aggressive as it plays. It sums up how stupid and simplistic life in the 21st Century can seem at times quite well, but does it in a way that doesn't come across as preachy or condescending.

"Shovin' Rocks" has a lighter tone compared to the previous tracks, retaining a true Rock 'N Roll attitude about it. I have to confess the guitar solo was my favorite part; it had that traditional "rawk" sound to it that a lot of guitarists used to show off all of the time years ago. "Ragged Flag" is road trip music, pure and simple. If you don't see yourself driving down the road with it blasting on a sunny day then something is wrong.. with you, not the song. I felt the spirit of vintage GUNS 'N ROSES within it briefly which made me extremely happy since they were my favorite band at one time. It's good to know someone remembers what they forgot.

I didn't think I'd care for "Yes To All No," but I was so wrong. That song ended up appealing to me in a way that songs of its' type haven't done in years. The lyrics were inspiring without being irritating and please, don't even get me started on the guitar solo;  Dregen has some skills, seriously! I think it would be safe to say the track is one of my favorites off the album. If you want another rocker then you'll need to check out "Bad Seeds".  It's got this insanely catchy sound to it that is impossible to resist if you're any sort of Hard Rock fan. And, yes, yet another EXCELLENT guitar solo!

I could go on and on and on all day about what a fantastic album "Silver and Gold" is, but it would become redundant quickly. The only song I didn't like that much was the final track, "Laugh Now Cry Later," which felt like a last minute addition to me. It didn't measure up to the rest of the album even though it's not a bad song. Otherwise, I'm so into this album (and band) that I'm shocked. I'm a die-hard Black Metal and Death Metal chick, yet BACKYARD BABIES can most assuredly claim me as one of their devoted fans from now on. And thank you to them for creating music that was actually fun to review.