Pearls & Frames - 'Spread Your Wings'
- Rock Metal Machine
- Dec 27, 2025
- 2 min read
Thirteen perfectly competent, well played and constructed songs that have strong hooks, melodies, singalong choruses and smart, concise solos.
Pearls & Frames are from Sweden and sit in the Melodic Rock/West Coast genre. They consist of Markus Nordenberg (vocals/keyboards) and Sven Larsson (guitars), their respective CVs are impressive with the likes of Street Talk, Groundbreaker, Overland, Lion’s Share, Coastland Ride and Frédéric Slama’s AOR all featuring. This is their sophomore release following ‘Reliance’ in 2022.
As a reader of this magazine, you’re probably well versed in this genre of music and doubtless have plenty of it in your collection, so you’ll know that the format for such an album doesn’t change and that’s the case with this release. Thirteen perfectly competent, well played and constructed songs that have strong hooks, melodies, singalong choruses and smart, concise solos. They have really nailed the vocal arrangements. Consequently, if that’s what floats your boat then you’ll certainly want to own this album. It doesn’t break any new ground, but it’ll have you moving and grooving.
The title-track opens proceedings and has a stabbing piano refrain, and I can imagine Jeff Scott Soto singing the verses in a heavier style on a W.E.T. album. The bridge has a West Coast vibe and there’s a decent guitar solo. ‘First Love’ has an earworm chorus and some nice, subtle guitar inflections; the backing vocal arrangement is lovely.
The riff of ‘We Will Survive’ reminds me a little of Toto, while the vocal melody again puts me in mind of a gentler W.E.T. ‘Like You Mean It’ is the ballad with its tinkling piano intro and West Coast balladry. ‘Runaway Train’ bounces along nicely and the vocal arrangement is both typical of the genre and pleasing, once again the chorus gets into your head very easily.
‘Stay In My Life’ has a Journey-ish piano intro, and ‘I Don’t Have To Wait’ has the Toto feel. ‘Like A Father And Son’ picks up the pace a little and ‘Broken’ takes it up another notch. Once more the vocal treatment is impressive. ‘The Art Of Letting Go’ is a little different with an electric piano refrain and a touch of funkiness in the mix.
The gentle, laid back ‘After All These Years’ puts me in mind of Venice with its delicious vocal construction, while ‘One Step Closer’ is pure, smooth AOR with closer, ‘Sahara’ tapping into a Disco-ish beat. AOR lovers will lap it up.
Reviewer: Gary Marshall
Label: Pride & Joy
Genre: Melodic Rock
Issue Reviewed In: 113
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