Review HONEYMOON SUITE “Wake Me Up When the Sun Goes Down”

Rock veterans Honeymoon Suite, who started in 1982, are representatives of Canadian hard rock. The band enjoyed their greatest success with their debut albums, which included a few singles that entered the charts.

With “Wake Me Up When the Sun Goes Down”, the band is launching a new longplayer these days, following “Alive”, the 2024 album. One thing right away: The album features 33 minutes of music, which means that we are not facing an excessive long record. So let’s take a look at the music.

The title of the album suggests a party vibe. Why else should you wake up when the sun goes down? The ten songs on the album support this idea, with upbeat tunes such as ‘Every Minute’ spreading an infectious feel-good factor from the first listen.

The opener is an average song. ‘I Fly’ is a little too standardised, whereas the pulsating ‘Way of the World’, which comes next in the tracklist, is more of a rocking anthem. The hard rock ambassador on the album finds a counterpart in “Way Too Fast”.

The latter is the tears-activating ballad on the album. It is a touching song that mirrors a standard approach. It’s a good average song, but nothing more. The same goes for “Live On” — another soulful moment on the album. If you’re expecting a roaring rock song next, you might be disappointed. “Keep This Love Alive” has a bigger chorus, but the verse takes a while to reveal its true nature.

The Canadians reveal more excitement with the half-acoustic ‘Unpredictable’. Based on a strong rhythm, the song exudes a certain Southern vibe, and its addictive quality comes through in the rhythm.

The band closes the album with another snappy but standard song, “Ever Leave You Lonely”. In a way, it reflects the entire album, as Honeymoon Suite release an album that doesn’t include much exciting new material. Most of what we are offered is music that we have already heard before, and it feels like there is always a foot on the brake. Honeymoon Suite’s latest offering features 80s-inspired rock music, but fails to capture the vibrant spirit of the era. Combined with the album’s shorter running time, expectations were higher than the result delivers.