RECKLESS LOVE: A RECKLESS RIP-OFF OR RECKLESSLY GOOD?

I can’t decide whether I like Finland hair metal revivalists (as if it ever really died) Reckless Love or not. Even though they pretty much ape their heroes to a T and they’re relentlessly cheesy like that video of a choreographed wedding proposal in Washington Square Park, I think that I do. In case those heroes would be Def Leppard (see: giant-sized drum production, “woah-oh” gang shouts, masterful use of pre-chorus to build anticipation of the chorus) and Europe (predictable guitar patterns, cheesy synths, bad lyrics)… but the songs are good, and what is hair metal about if not the songs?

In the end I guess Reckless Love do feel a bit calculated in their approach, but eh, they’re pretty good at it so I think they get a pass. Like how on your first report card every semester of High School you’d either get graded “Satisfactory” or “Unsatisfactory”… these guys get a “Satisfactory.” Check out some tuneage on their MySpace page.

-VN