Tyketto: Reach

American melodic rock band Tyketto is back with a new studio album, their fifth overall, titled Reach. It’s been four years since the last Tyketto album, which seems kind of long until you recall that the gap between the previous albums was close to two decades. Unlike that last album (2012’s Dig in Deep), which featured the original Tyketto lineup, this time around, founding vocalist Danny Vaughn and drummer Michael Clayton are joined by keyboardist Ged Rylands (Rage of Angels, ex-Ten), guitarist Chris Green (Rubicon Cross) and Thunder bassist Chris Childs.

Tyketto made their debut 25 years ago with Don’t Come Easy (which, coincidentally, was just reissued), an album that not only defined their style but perfectly captured that early ‘90s melodic rock sound. You can still hear that classic sound in Reach, though it is a more mature, more soulful album. 25 years tends to put some mileage on the soul after all. Reach sounds a lot like Danny Vaughn’s soulful, bluesy solo albums, but that’s going to happen with any album Vaughn lends his unforgettable vocals to. Green does a fine job on guitar, though it just doesn’t seem right to have a Tyketto album without Brooke St. James delivering the melodic hooks.

Reach is a really strong melodic rock album. Let’s be clear on that. Does it always feel like a Tyketto album? Probably not. That doesn’t change the fact that we get a dozen well-crafted melodic rock songs with incomparable vocals. “Reach,” “Circle the Wagons,” “Tearing Down the Sky” and “Remember My Name” are all standout tracks, and the closing rocker “The Run” (which absolutely does sound like a classic Tyketto song) ends things on a high note.

It may take a few spins to sink in, but Reach is the kind of album that really grows on you. It may not be Don’t Come Easy part 2, but there’s a lot here for Tyketto (and Vaughn/From the Inside) fans to love. Fans of high quality, soulful melodic rock in general will also want to give Reach a chance.

Label: Frontiers

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