There are very few people as talented and as indefatigable, when it comes to make music, than the American guitarist and singer/songwriter Steve Lukather.
Somebody that has heavily contributed to the success of a band like Toto through the last 4-plus decades and also written some of the most beautiful and highly appreciated chapters of the career of this extraordinary band, Lukather has also found the time, during the years and in-between making music with Toto and touring the world with the multi-awarded Rock collective, to record several solo albums, the penultimate of which, the 2021's I Found The Sun Again, was also reviewed by our website.
Lukather's brand new record, the 9th of his solo career, is called Bridges and it is, in our personal view, one of the most accomplished solo efforts of the American Guitar Maestro and also the perfect Tres D'Union between Lukather's songbook with Toto and his own Blues/Rock musical roots.
Bridges, as an album title, is perhaps emblematic of the sonic axis that Lukather has built through the eight songs included in his new record. A record that it might as well be all about the importance of family and friends, besides the songs' themes, given the fact that his trusted Toto's compadres Joseph Williams and David Paich have both lent him a helping hand in the making of the singer/songwriter's new record (Williams has writing credits on 6 of the album's songs, while Paich has got 4), Lukather's son Trev has played bass guitar, synth, electric guitar and backing vocals on the song Far From Over and Toto's current keyboardist Steve Maggiora has co-written and played another of Lukather's new songs, called Take My Love.
Ultimately, though, Steve Lukather is the true driving force, the engine, the remarkably strong foundation of an album like Bridges. While (and quite understandably) there are here and there some musical snippets, in Bridges' songs, that echo some of the best moments of Toto's career, in songs like When I See You Again. All Forevers Must End or Not My Kind Of People, for example, it is also true that Lukather's overall guitar playing and still very impressive vocal strength take brilliantly center stage at every point of the album, with the American artist showcasing some of his best material to date, since his highly acclaimed 2010's solo effort called All's Well That Ends Well.
If it is true that a winning album needs to have all the right elements to succeed, like inspired songwriting, powerful vocal skills, melody, choruses and bridges that stick to your skin and thunderous guitar solos, it truly sounds like Lukather has just found the right balance, on his new solo record.
The opening track Far From Over is a mixture of explosive American Rock and anthemic choruses, the Blues sounding Take My Love is among the finest musical pages that Lukather has written in later years, just to mention some of the highlights of the record but, in fairness, each and every song included in Bridges carries bags of melody, strong vocal deliveries and that trademark guitar sound that has made and still makes Steve Lukather one of the most talented and unanimously recognized Maestro of the instrument.
Bridges is a major step forward in Lukather's solo musical progression, a record that displays an artist that carries within still that strong desire to write powerful music and impress the listeners through his experience and craftmanship, despite the several millions of records already sold in his fabulous career with Toto and as a solo artist. From our website, a big thumb up to Lukather and his rather splendid new album.
Bridges is out now and it is available via Mascot Label Group
