Album Review — Work of Art

Work of Art — Exhibits

Sweden is the new Sunset Strip. Going back to 70s, some of rocks biggest bands cut their teeth on the Sunset Strip. Van Halen, Guns N Roses, Poison and many more honed their craft in the Hollywood clubs. But these days, the best rock bands are coming out of Europe, and especially Sweden.

The first time I heard of Work of Art, it was when the supergroup W.E.T. formed. The band includes Robert Sall (Work of Art), fellow Swede Erik Martensson (Eclipse) and Jeff Scott Soto (Talisman). I knew of Soto and was just getting familiar with the genius of Erik Martensson, but I never got around to checking out Work of Art.

No more excuses as Work of Art has released its first album in five years, “Exhibits”. The first thing that struck me about Work of Art is they don’t sound like what I expected. The first bands that come to mind when hearing their sound are Toto and Survivor. The keyboards are prominent and guitars are present but not up front. Vocalist Lars Safsund has a quality voice but you won’t find a ton of vocal acrobatics here.

When asked about the record, Sall says the band made a decision to make more of an AOR record instead of a melodic rock record. A lot of times those two terms can be confused, but the difference is clear when listening to “Exhibits”. The simple way of explaining the difference is AOR usually has keyboards more up front in the mix and the guitar plays a more accent role as to melodic rock where guitar is up front and carries the song and keyboards are the accent. It’s more complicated than that, but that’s the best way I can describe it in a few words.

It sounds nitpicking but it’s clear when you hear the difference. “Exhibits” is very clearly an AOR record. You are not going to hear many heavy guitar riffs. But you are going to hear big hooks, quality musicianship and lots of melody.

There are some really good songs here. My favorite track on the record, “Another Night”, sounds like vintage late 80s Survivor. Think “Burning Heart” from the Rocky 4 soundtrack.

“Be The Believer” sounds like a cross between a more recent Journey track and 80s Toto.

“This Isn’t Love”, “Come Home” and “Destined To Survive” stand out as some of the better tracks.

“Exhibits” is very consistent. The production is top notch, the songs are catchy and the performances are crisp. If there is a drawback to the record, it’s a little too similar throughout the album. There isn’t a lot of variation from track to track. Although the record isn’t heavy, it’s not soft either. Album closer “Let Me Dream” is the only ballad and it’s even a stretch to call it that.

The is a song lovers type of record. You aren’t wowed by the singer or the musicians, that’s not their role. They all serve the song. The result is a bunch of well crafted tracks that will have you singing along.

If you enjoyed the lighter side of the 80s rock spectrum, this album is for you.

85 out of 100

Track Listing

1 Misguided Love
2 Be The Believer *
3 Another Night *
4 This Isn’t Love feat. Vince DiCola *
5 Gotta Get Out
6 Come Home *
7 If I Could Fly
8 Destined To Survive *
9 Scars To Prove It
10 What You Want From Me
11 Let Me Dream

*Best Songs