Erja Lyytinen – Waiting For the Daylight
There’s no question noted Finnish blues-rock guitarist singer & songwriter Erja Lyytinen has, as heard to fine effect on previous albums Stolen Hearts and Another World, eschewed her blues, soul-pop and funkier stylings for a more commercial, melodic rock-blues sound.
With Waiting For The Daylight however Miss Lyytinen has also incorporated a clearly intentional injection of classic rock and, on a few of the numbers, well-conceived pop – the results are her most all-encompassing work to date.
(It also helps that there was plenty of time for Erja Lyytinen to consider the style and arrangements of the songs; the album was written by Lyytinen primarily through the lockdowns, with the album itself recorded earlier this year, between touring schedules).
Opener 'Bad Seed' is an all-encompassing case in stylistic point.
At its core 'Bad Seed' is a bluesy and melodic Hammond backed rocker (Harri Taittonen’s keyboard & Hammond contributions are subtle but highly effective throughout), but the light and shade of the fat-grooved number allows for dance-pop-verses and weightier choruses that are almost stomp blues, driven by the none-too-shabby rhythm section of Tatu Back (bass) and Iiro Laitinen (drums).
Following number 'Last Girl' (lyrically dealing with school bullying and the resultant sense of loneliness and feeling like an outsider) is a spikey yet melodically rocking affair that manages to nod to Iron Maiden in some of the guitar play (the song features some of Lyytinen’s niftiest six-string deliveries to date) and even the Allman Brothers, in the late-song, twin-guitar harmony part.
'Run Away' is one of the more interesting songs on the album, featuring atmospheric verses and rock choruses; that Erja Lyytinen is in rock mode more than blues mode is evidenced on her excellent slide solo, which reminds of the late Ken Hensley’s finest slide moments with Uriah Heep or on his solo albums (the Hammond backing reinforces that classic 70s rock sound).
The six-minute title track is another that carries serious rock (almost rock-metal) weight with a thick, muscly riff backing a big chorus, while the verses, again, provide the lighter, in this case almost dreamlike contrast.
Lyrically the song is of personal loss, but with the spiritual uplift of a pain free final day; Erja Lyytinen’s guitar solo finale is both well-placed and beautifully expressive, as are her outro chorus vocals.
With Waiting For The Daylight however Miss Lyytinen has also incorporated a clearly intentional injection of classic rock and, on a few of the numbers, well-conceived pop – the results are her most all-encompassing work to date.
(It also helps that there was plenty of time for Erja Lyytinen to consider the style and arrangements of the songs; the album was written by Lyytinen primarily through the lockdowns, with the album itself recorded earlier this year, between touring schedules).
Opener 'Bad Seed' is an all-encompassing case in stylistic point.
At its core 'Bad Seed' is a bluesy and melodic Hammond backed rocker (Harri Taittonen’s keyboard & Hammond contributions are subtle but highly effective throughout), but the light and shade of the fat-grooved number allows for dance-pop-verses and weightier choruses that are almost stomp blues, driven by the none-too-shabby rhythm section of Tatu Back (bass) and Iiro Laitinen (drums).
Following number 'Last Girl' (lyrically dealing with school bullying and the resultant sense of loneliness and feeling like an outsider) is a spikey yet melodically rocking affair that manages to nod to Iron Maiden in some of the guitar play (the song features some of Lyytinen’s niftiest six-string deliveries to date) and even the Allman Brothers, in the late-song, twin-guitar harmony part.
'Run Away' is one of the more interesting songs on the album, featuring atmospheric verses and rock choruses; that Erja Lyytinen is in rock mode more than blues mode is evidenced on her excellent slide solo, which reminds of the late Ken Hensley’s finest slide moments with Uriah Heep or on his solo albums (the Hammond backing reinforces that classic 70s rock sound).
The six-minute title track is another that carries serious rock (almost rock-metal) weight with a thick, muscly riff backing a big chorus, while the verses, again, provide the lighter, in this case almost dreamlike contrast.
Lyrically the song is of personal loss, but with the spiritual uplift of a pain free final day; Erja Lyytinen’s guitar solo finale is both well-placed and beautifully expressive, as are her outro chorus vocals.
'Never Really Had You' is a lost love number that builds from its delicately sung (and delightfully phrased guitar cries) slow-blues beginnings to become a much bigger number that, again, has echoes of forlorn "Hensley-slide" as the number reaches its conclusion (kudos too for Erja Lyytinen’s ever-rising vocal performance).
The bluesy and brooding 'Diamonds on the Road' is as moody as it is groove-driven before hitting another gear to allow Erja Lyytinen to showcase some seriously wicked slide guitar play; the song then ends as broodingly as it began.
Long-time Erja Lyytinen fans will recognise 'You Talk Dirty' as a number from her debut album Attention!
Originally a fun if disposable Bo-Diddley-esque blues number it’s taken on a new lease of now six-minutes long life 20 years later – here it opens in 'War Pigs' guitar-moan fashion (whammy bar and alternating Major C & D chords, guitar lovers) before ramping up the Rhythm & Diddley blues quotient as well as featuring a War Pigs Blues mid-section and big, up-tempo finale. A true highlight.
'Love Bites' is another multi-styled winner; an alt-pop "never again" blues, the song starts like one of the best songs Björk never did (Erja Lyytinen’s flexible vocal is like nothing she has ever done before) before heading in the direction of Tori Amos.
Album closer 'The End of Music' isn’t as negative as its title suggests.
Lyrically the laid back, seven-minute (and slightly southern) melodic slow blues reflects on the lockdowns and the loss of live music; reinforcing the celebrated return of live music however is the fact the band recorded the song live in the studio (and rather superbly at that); Erja Lyytinen’s overdubbed vocal outros give the song a passionate, big sounding finish-to-fade.
If Erja Lyytinen was indeed Waiting For The Daylight to release her ninth studio album then it was well-timed, because the sun is certainly shining on the Finnish slide supremo and songstress.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
The bluesy and brooding 'Diamonds on the Road' is as moody as it is groove-driven before hitting another gear to allow Erja Lyytinen to showcase some seriously wicked slide guitar play; the song then ends as broodingly as it began.
Long-time Erja Lyytinen fans will recognise 'You Talk Dirty' as a number from her debut album Attention!
Originally a fun if disposable Bo-Diddley-esque blues number it’s taken on a new lease of now six-minutes long life 20 years later – here it opens in 'War Pigs' guitar-moan fashion (whammy bar and alternating Major C & D chords, guitar lovers) before ramping up the Rhythm & Diddley blues quotient as well as featuring a War Pigs Blues mid-section and big, up-tempo finale. A true highlight.
'Love Bites' is another multi-styled winner; an alt-pop "never again" blues, the song starts like one of the best songs Björk never did (Erja Lyytinen’s flexible vocal is like nothing she has ever done before) before heading in the direction of Tori Amos.
Album closer 'The End of Music' isn’t as negative as its title suggests.
Lyrically the laid back, seven-minute (and slightly southern) melodic slow blues reflects on the lockdowns and the loss of live music; reinforcing the celebrated return of live music however is the fact the band recorded the song live in the studio (and rather superbly at that); Erja Lyytinen’s overdubbed vocal outros give the song a passionate, big sounding finish-to-fade.
If Erja Lyytinen was indeed Waiting For The Daylight to release her ninth studio album then it was well-timed, because the sun is certainly shining on the Finnish slide supremo and songstress.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ