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It’s incredible to think that for a performer with so many decades under their belt, it’s taken until 2026 for them to release their debut solo album. But that’s exactly what ‘New Day’ is: the first full-length solo album of original material from well-travelled modern troubadour John Corabi.
As Corabi himself says: “I’m very excited for everybody to hear this new collection of songs! I wanted to put together an album of eclectic, organic songs that are reminiscent of the music I grew up listening to, and I truly believe the mission was accomplished! This is a 60’s-70’s sounding classic rock and roll record…Turn it up, and enjoy!!!”
Nail. On. The. Head.
‘New Day’ IS “…a 60’s-70’s sounding classic rock and roll record…”. One that could easily slip in amongst a Creedence Clearwater Revival Spotify playlist (the insanely infectious ‘1969’, especially). The jaunty, good-feeling of the title track comes pre-loaded with heaps of Beatles-esque vocal melodies (as does ‘Cosi´Bella’), as well as some killer guitar tones, and reels the listener in pretty much from the off. Ditto the Charlie Starr co-write ‘That Memory’, which is effortlessly cool and glides rather than walks. The Blackberry Smoke frontman brings a Southern rock influence to the album and lends his guitar to a handful of the 12 featured tracks. GNR’s Richard Fortus also lends a hand in the lead guitar department, and ‘That Memory’, in particular, has a smoking guitar solo.
‘Faith, Hope And Love’ highlights the soul influence on Corabi’s vocals, and with the lush backing vocal harmonies, and an easy like a Sunday morning vibe, it sounds like it was cooked up there on the spot with all the players in the room together. Another stellar guitar solo, just one of the many highlights featured throughout a warm four minutes. The Rod Stewart ‘Maggie May’/’Mandolin Wind’ vibes on ‘When I Was Young’ are another standout moment on the album, and again, there is a fantastic organic feel to the music. Somebody had a lot of fun on this one. ‘Love That’ll Never Be’ has more of those Rod Stewart/Faces vibes, as well as some gorgeous arrangements.
Mixing it up, ‘Laurel’ is a real slow-burning gem. Bluesier than the rest of the material, it showcases the trademark Corabi vocal grit. Would it be crass to suggest that ‘Your Own Worst Enemy’ is the best song that Aerosmith never wrote? Perhaps. But there is a distinct Aerosmith feel to this beauty, which makes sense, considering that multi-platinum songwriter, producer, and long-term Aerosmith collaborator Marti Frederiksen plays a sizeable role on ‘New Day’.
Although ‘New Day’ has been decades in the making, it’s hardly like the well-liked singer-songwriter-frontman has been chilling on a beach somewhere these last twenty years or so. If you have been a regular gig-goer on the live rock n’ roll circuit since the turn of the century, then chances are that you WILL have encountered Corabi somewhere along the way. Most likely with The Dead Daisies or one of his hugely enjoyable solo shows. Either way, John Corabi is a sure thing on the scene and one of the most consistent, all of which makes ‘New Day’ such a joyful listening experience, albeit a long overdue one.
‘New Day’ is available April 24th via Frontiers Music Srl. Pre-order, HERE.
Review – Dave
Guitar photo credit – Jeff Fasano
