Lithuanian-born Swedish artist Michael Palace is announcing today another chapter in the PALACE saga, his new record “Reckless Heart,” out on July 12th via Frontiers Music Srl.  “It was time to go back to the roots, as they say, and finally make that true '80s AOR album that I’ve dreamt of creating since I started PALACE. It's the missing link between 1985 and 2024,” said Michael. Embracing a hands-on approach, Michael has written all of the songs, played all instruments, produced, mixed and mastered the new album. “Reckless Heart” stands as a testament to his ongoing musical evolution.

AOR, also known as Album Oriented Rock, or Adult Oriented Rock, flourished in the late 1970’s and grew to near bursting by 1989. As a teenager during this time, I ate much of it up gladly. One thing that not a lot of youngsters know about this sound is that you actually had to have talent in order to get signed to a record label. They see the hair, and lump all these bands together. By the late 1980’s however, there were just too many of these bands on the scene, and like all good things, their time had come to an end, at least in America. A couple of years after the short-lived Grunge movement, AOR rose again, but this time overseas, and not a lot of Americans noticed.

Today, the scene thrives once again, particularly in Sweden. One immediate challenge however, is how to bands of today revive a sound, or breathe new life into a sound, that dominated the air waves so long ago? PALACE has definitely figured it out. Let’s get to some of the best cuts in PALACE’s “Reckless Heart.” The title track has a very positive sound and it is so damn catchy, one thing that is very hard to do today. Take a listen to the chorus for me, or the bright melodies in “Back in Your Arms.” This music takes me right back to the 1980’s. “You Give Me a Reason to Live” is the obligatory power ballad on the album and it is indeed powerful, and performed with a lot of passion, especially in the vocals.

“Weightless” is another memorable moment, with its jovial jaunt, a nice mix of keys and guitars, and of course, Michael’s impassioned vocals. “Move me” is also very catchy, and that big chorus pulls in the listener, and the closer, “Stronger by the Day,” leaves the listener with a warm feeling, enough to get them through a tough day, even a tough week, and then some. Overall, this was a fantastic album that brought the feel good melodies from the 1980’s to today, like a time machine. The vocals and ensuing harmonies might have been the best part, but those catchy guitar riffs and glittering keyboards were not too far behind.