When a plan goes right, stick with it. The first LAURENNE/LOUHIMO album, “The Reckoning”, was one of 2021’s most refreshing surprises. A collaboration between BATTLE BEAST‘s Noora Louhimo and her fellow Finn, SMACKBOUND‘s Netta Laurenne, it brought the best out of both singers and armed the newly formed duo with songs that got the balance between heavy metal polish and hard rock grit just about right. It was clearly a huge amount of fun to make, and the mutual affection shared by its protagonists made a follow-up seem like an inevitability. After finally finding time in their respective schedules to make the magic happen all over again, “Falling Through Stars” is where Netta and Noora cement their musical friendship. Full of the same unpretentious, melodic metal anthems and warm-hearted ballads that made “The Reckoning” so easy to love, their second joint effort is another triumph.
It would be slightly reductive to say that LAURENNE/LOUHIMO never occupy the same territory as the two singers’ respective bands, but it is notable that “Falling Through Stars” avoids confusing that, or any other issue. The opening title track is a big, blustery symphonic metal lighter-waver, with both women on explosive form and an in-built sense of momentousness to match the opulence of its arrangement. In contrast, “Damned” is a rampaging, hard rock gem, with lithe, passionate vocals, pristine pop-metal sensibilities, and a magnificent guitar solo with both feet firmly planted in the ’80s. Closer to the cutting edge, “To The Dark” has the nimble, futuristic urgency of AMARANTHE, but with some classic metal motifs completing the picture. Not for the first or last time, Louhimo hits some absurdly high notes, and the whole thing whizzes by with radio-friendly finesse and fire in its belly.
Even as they revel in the shiny perfection of their heavier material, LAURENNE/LOUHIMO are unlikely to miss the chance to strip things down to an acoustic murmur. “All For Sale” is a slightly predictable attempt at a pre-grunge power ballad, but one with a certain, low-key charm. Similarly, the closing “David Bowie & Clyde” is either a poignant comment on a burgeoning friendship, or a load of corny claptrap with a title that doesn’t really work. Either way, softer moments are overshadowed by songs like the strutting, bluesy “Rotten Gold” (wherein Louhimo repeatedly threatens to blow the roof off with sheer vocal power) and the steroidal hair metal stomp of “Let The Light Be Free”. The album’s most effective ballad, “Loud And Clear” has plenty of AOR in its DNA, but also subtle shades of traditional prog metal and Broadway theatricality, with schmaltz levels at an all-time high. “Wait” reveals an even more unashamed embracing of ’80s melodic rock, making the most of its smart mixture of rock nostalgia and zeitgeist-friendly pop.
When good friends make music together, chemistry is everything. Noora Louhimo and Netta Laurenne have voices that perfectly complement each other and a self-evident desire to enjoy every moment of a burgeoning creative alliance. At its best, “Falling Through Stars” is an exhilarating advertisement for loud music and even louder friendship.
Source: blabbermouth.net
