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October 2016. The month and year of the previous studio album from Tyketto. Stop and think about that for a second. Almost ten years. How much shit has gone down in those ten years? Presidents and politicians have come and gone, the world was put on pause in 2020 while most of us sat around in our pants all day (try explaining THAT to someone in ten years), and sadly, the world of Rock music has lost too many legends.
But, in those ten years, powerhouse vocalist Danny Vaughn has quietly gone about rebuilding the legacy of one of the best-loved American rock bands out there, so much so that (through hard work, integrity, and a kick-ass live show) Tyketto are now enjoying the sort of success in the UK and Europe that evaded them back in the day. And the long-awaited new album ‘Closer To The Sun’ is set to continue that success.
One look at the video for lead single ‘Higher Than High’ hints at one of the reasons that Tyketto are on a hot streak of late. It’s a band, in the truest meaning of the word. Anyone who caught Chris Daughtry on the recent Alter Bridge tour should have picked up on the cold, clinical vibes coming from the stage. This was a name with four other guys who looked like they had just met. Not so with Danny Vaughn and the guys in Tyketto. Each gets their moment in the spotlight, hell, even the drummer (the incredible Johnny Dee) gets his fair share of screen time. And it’s this camaraderie that helps make ‘Closer To The Sun’ such a joy.
The songs obviously help. And there are some peaches to be found amongst the 11 that make up the album. The hooks on the title track, for instance, are massive. This is primo Tyketto on a song that would easily slot in amongst those on the bona fide 1991 classic debut album ‘Don’t Come Easy’. Classic guitar melodies from the impressive guitar-hero-in-the-making, Harry Scott Elliott, with a gorgeous, soaring guitar solo thrown in. But it’s the vocals from Vaughn that impress the most. Like the thread running through the album, they are uplifting and timeless. A future single? Without a shadow of a doubt. And a song that will wear out the rewind button.
The mix of acoustic and electric guitars that are part of the Tyketto DNA is ever-present on ‘Starts With a Feeling’, and it’s impossible to stop the toes from tapping. The non-fussy playing of Johnny Dee and his partner in crime, Thunder bassist Chris Childs, is crucial to the tempo here, and they make it sound easy. Hard melodic rock played extremely well, with hints of an Eagles influence in the backing vocals, some of the guitar melodies on ‘Bad for Good’ continue that train of thought, especially on what sounds like a tip of the hat to ‘Life in the Fast Lane’.
‘We Rise’ is certainly going to feature on the upcoming tour. Instantly memorable, lyrics that are easy to sing back at the band, a keyboard solo courtesy of Ged Rylands, and that all-important pause for audience participation through some handclaps. Perfection. ‘Harleys & Indians (Riders in the Sky)’ is another hooky highlight with a percussive undercurrent that sneaks into the listener’s psyche, just waiting to come exploding out. Almost a 70’s glam rock feel to Dee’s playing, and along with Vaughn’s harmonica, it provides suitable bedrock for the band to floor it as the track races to a conclusion. Dee also just about steals the show on the swaggering ‘Hit Me Where It Hurts’, which is rather an apt title considering how hard the guy hits those skins.
Those hanging around waiting for the ballad will need to wait until the album almost comes to an end. But just like ‘Closer To The Sun’ itself is worth the wait, ‘The Picture’ is also worth waiting for. Nobody quite sings material like this in the same way that Danny Vaughn does. And here, he excels. Thanks to the top quality production and mixing, Vaughn’s enunciation is as crystal clear as ever, especially on the hopeful ‘Far and Away’.
Headline tours, festival appearances, and support slots with theatre-sized acts such as Uriah Heep, all aimed at reintroducing Tyketto to the masses. What was missing was a new studio album to match the live show. And with it being so long since ‘Reach’ was released in 2016, said new studio album had to hit the spot. No point in waiting ten years to release an album, only for it to be sub-standard. Thankfully, ‘Closer To The Sun’ is anything but sub-standard, and the wait has certainly been worth it.
‘Closer To The Sun’ will be available March 20th via Silver Lining Music, pre-order now at this location
Review – Dave
Photo credits – Davey Rocks
2026 UPCOMING SHOWS:
13 April – The Junction, Cambridge (United Kingdom)
14 April – Waterfront, Norwich (United Kingdom)
16 April – The 1865, Southampton (United Kingdom)
17 April – The 229, London (United Kingdom)
18 April – Academy 2, Manchester (United Kingdom)
19 April – Digital, Newcastle (United Kingdom)
21 April – The Garage, Glasgow (United Kingdom)
23 Apri – Rock City, Nottingham (United Kingdom)
24 April – Corporation, Sheffield (United Kingdom)
25 April – KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton (United Kingdom)
8 May – Casino Estoril’s Salão Preto e Prata, Cascais, Lisbon (Portugal) – with Russ Ballard
3 July – Barcelona Rockfest, Spain
3 – 6 July – Time To Rock Festival, Knislinge (Sweden)
24 July – Malmö Melodic Festival, Plan B, Malmö (Sweden)
24 July – 26 July – Steelhouse Festival, Aberbeeg (Wales)
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