A delightful debut EP of classic AOR here. The British lads FIRST LIGHT is a musical partnership between Dave Hardman (Guitar) and Carl Sharples (Bass), two lifelong friends and lovers of all things Melodic Rock. They are joined on the 7 tracks by New York City based vocalist Warren Passaro, himself of the Journey vein of singers plus FM’s keyboardist Didge Digital and drummer Andy Jakeman.

The production may be an indie – but they’ve done a great job getting it to the level they have and the mix is balanced and even.

Classic 80s influenced AOR and melodic rock is the order of the day, but I’m pleased to say the lads have a sound distinct enough to call their own. The mostly uptempo release features some very fine lead vocals and most importantly, some really catchy songs on hand.

Take ‘Revolution’ for instance – there’s an instant hook if you’ve ever heard one. The opening track ‘Gravity’ is just as good. But all songs have hooks and memorable melodies.

I’m hearing some early House Of Shakira here, plus FM, Journey and the like. Very pleasant listening all-round. Available on digital and a limited-edition CD.