Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Complicated’ (2022) – Album Review (The Jeff Scott Soto Series

Released on May 6, 2022 by Frontiers Records, ‘Complicated’ is Jeff Scott Soto’s 8th studio album. And like his last solo album, he partnered again with Alessandro Del Vecchio to help write and produce the album. He wasn’t the only one to return as Jeff also had his good buddy Edu Cominato back on drums and Fabrizio Sgattoni on guitar who were both on ‘Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)’. With the same basic line-up, you’d expect the same sound and you’d be right. It is more of the same, which in my opinion is not always a great thing. Although at times it feels like Talisman and sometimes W.E.T., it kind of all sounds the same, but there are some great moments. Let’s find out what’s what on the album.

The album kicks off with “Last to Know” opens and all is good. You get a hard rocking song with a great chorus, memorable moments and Jeff’s awesome vocals. Jeff’s delivery is powerful and the chorus is such a big payoff with great backing vocals. Fabrizio throws in some great guitar riffs and lays down a solo that is fast and exciting. An energetic opener that will get you moving and get you anticipating the rest of the album.

“Disbelieving” comes up next and there are some great melodies and harmonies, but I quickly lose interest as it is too cookie cutter and no real surprises. Left me a little bored and my mind started wondering and I’d forget the song was playing…never a good thing.

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Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)’ (2020) – Album Review (The Jeff Scott Soto Series)

Jeff Scott Soto keeps cranking out the music whether solo or one of his many projects. This time around we are on Jeff’s 7th Solo album and it as with almost all his solo albums, it is on Frontiers Records. This time around he brought in a staple at Frontiers, Alessandro Del Vecchio, to produce, arrange, mix and master the album. He also helped with the songwriting and instrumentation as well. Wait, is this a Jeff solo album or an Alessandro album with Jeff singing? No, don’t worry, it is a Jeff solo album and that voice is on full display. And if you were around when this came out, you were excited because you were in the midst of the Covid pandemic and happy to get any album as so many bands were constantly delaying their albums in hopes the pandemic would end soon. But not Jeff. He was releasing albums and this one came out on November 6th, 2020.

The rest of the band on this album aside from Jeff and Alessandro was Fabrizio Sgattoni on guitar and damn he can play. Good friend Edu Cominato on drums who is also in Jeff’s band Soto so you know this musicians are top notch. And to make this album even more appealing, there is a bonus disc of Jeff’s digital only release (up to this point) Loud & Live in Milan 2019 which we reviewed last week.

The album opens with a solid rocker called “Someone to Love” and it blasts out of the gate with Soto’s soaring vocals in overdrive. The guitar playing by Frabrizio is to notch and with the accompanying rhythm section that drives the song home, you get a brilliant opener. The song slides in to “Mystified” with Edu slaying the drums and giving us a driving beat throughout. Jeff again sounds great and while the song is another rocker, it is a little forgettable and doesn’t quite go where you think it is. Aside from another killer little guitar solo, the overall song left me a little wanting more as there was no big payoff with the chorus or anything really.

Continue reading “Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)’ (2020) – Album Review (The Jeff Scott Soto Series)”