If you have been making Melodic Rock since 1981, one can expect that you know what you are doing. Okay, TREAT broke up in 1993, only to reappear in 2006. After so many years these guys from Stockholm have treated the world to nine studio albums, two DVDs and two compilations before now. In all those the original members years singer Robert Ernlund and guitarist Anders Wikström are still flying the flag for TREAT. And quite rightly so, as this is a band that has a sound that holds both sides of the coin, as they play Melodic Rock and AOR as well as Pop Rock, so they are Hard without being Heavy, whilst simultaneously maintaining a certain gradation of lightheaded and easy listening sound. And to be able to keep doing that time after time, year after year, is quite e feat, if you ask me.

Now I have studio record number ten playing through my speakers. "The Wild Card" might not be accurate for those who like it Hard and Heavy, but I can understand why this does apply top TREAT. This album simply Rocks, has that bit of urgence that makes everything sound just that little more needy. What that does is remind me of the Heavier songs that used to dictate and colour the sound of BRYAN ADAMS. And I mean that as a bit of praise. And complement the compliment, what I hear on "The Wild Card" is a band that is trying hard to prove that they still count, that they aren't to be forgotten or passed by without a hitch. In all 52 minutes of music you can hear that TREAT is still hungry, hasn't become complacent or lazy. On the contrary, "The Wild Card" is one eager bunch of songs put together.

And that is a feast for your ears, a joy to listen to. As for the songs themselves, they are simple and straight forward, they just come to the point. If you are looking for intricate structures, for different sorts of breaks and/or all kinds of variety in a song, forget it. If you want all those ingredients throughout the record, you are in for a TREAT, as "The Wild Card" has all that in spades. I like what I hear, but it's not bowling me over either. This is a decent record by a solid band. Nothing more, nothing less. Sometimes that is more than enough.