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On album number three, ‘Reckless’, Welsh songstress Chez Kane seems to have adopted the well-travelled idiom of “Go big, or go home”. Bigger, bolder, and more 80s-tastic (if such a thing is possible) than 2022’s sophomore album, ‘Powerzone’, ‘Reckless’ is Chez Kane four years down the road with heaps of life experience tucked into her back pocket. Rather than tone down everything 80s-related, Kane has defiantly ramped it up (why change a winning formula?).
‘Reckless’ is a fantastic homage to a time when things were a little bit easier and less stressful. The main cause of stress at the time was overbleaching your jeans or trying to make your biker jacket (standard uniform in the 80s) look older and worn. Therefore, ‘Reckless’ is a fun album. A well-written, fun album. It’s also steamy and sultry, and doesn’t leave much to the imagination. ‘Love Torando,’ for instance: Flashdance energy meets the pulsating, gyrating thrust of the 1985 John Travolta/Jamie Lee Curtis movie Perfect. It’s all headbands and leg warmers, mixed with guitar riffs, very much of the era, and a simple, memorable chorus that hangs around for days on end. In the hands of Steel Panther, it becomes something else, but in the hands of Kane and writer and producer Danny Rexon, it is bloody great fun. Linking up with the pacier, more aggressive Dio-esque riffage of ‘Bad Girl’ (which would be a great set-opener), it makes for a thrilling six minutes or so during what can often be the traditional mid-album slump.
Lots of singing into your hairbrush moments to be found within the lean, ten tracks that make up ‘Reckless’. The title track is packed with them. The ZZ Top-ish intro gives way to a highly infectious few minutes of classic 80s hard rock that would have been on heavy rotation back when MTV gave a shit. The layered, gang backing vocals are lush, as is the sax solo…gotta love a little bit of sax. And Kane sings as if her life depends on it.
‘Personal Rock N’ Roll’ is an early highlight and might give the aforementioned ‘Bad Girl’ a run for the money in the set opener stakes; the drummer is gonna have a blast knocking this one out. ‘Strip Me Down’ is chock-full of hooks, and once someone greenlights a third Top Gun movie, then this is the one for when Goose’s grandson gets kicked out of class for being more maverick than Maverick himself, and busts out into the neon night on some souped-up Kawasaki for an angst-ridden few minutes. ‘Street Survivor’ arrives late in the game, but is another standout moment on an album of many. Hooky-as-hell, simple, effective, and one you’ll be singing along to after the first listen.
If the aim of ‘Reckless’ was to lift the listener out of the dumpster fire that is current times and provide a welcome distraction, even just for 30 minutes, then it is mission accomplished for Chez Kane. Some absolute bangers to be found within an album that gets better with each listen.
‘Reckless’ is available on March 27, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl.
Chez Kane takes the album on the road, beginning with a series of stripped-back record store appearances that begin March 27th, before a full-band electric tour that launches May 22nd.
Preorder Reckless:
https://ffm.bio/recklesspreorder
Record Store Tour:
https://ffm.bio/chezkane_instoreshowdates
Electric Tour:
https://bnds.us/ak9x4w
Review – Dave
Photo credit – Danny Rexon
