THE VIEW INSIDE

Strange Destinations HYPOSTATIC RECORDS Slick grooves and AOR polish from French-American group. This is the second album from vocalist and guitarist Ludovic Briand, keys player Julien Boursin, and producer Matt Rohr, following their 2020 eponymous debut. Where that record had a cast of all-star contributors, Strange Destinations sees Briand and Boursin joined by a smaller selection of players including drummer Christophe Briand, while bass duties are shared between Serge Arese and Francois Gomez. Musically, the album recalls the heyday of 80s AOR-prog, the latter part of that equation informing the conceptual lyrics and some of the more ambitious arrangements. High points include rockers Bad Neighborhood and Son Of Someone, with their catchy melodies, slick guitar lines and bubbling synths married to Briand’s classic rock vocal style. There are big, lighters-in-the-air…