The band in 2002 consisted of founder Andy Scott (guitars, vocals), Steve Grant (keyboards, vocals), Jeff Brown (bass, lead vocals), and Bruce Bisland (drums). Much of the old Sweet swagger & sheen are heard throughout these 11 very strong songs, with those trademark vocal hooks front & center (I detect a little classic ELO stamp here as well in spots). Tunes such as "Sweetlife", "Everything", the unforgettable "Do It All Over Again" (a popular single in Germany), "Leap of Faith", the heavy metal riffing of "Everybody Wants to Be Someone", and the memorable hard rock & pop of "So Far So Good" just stick in your head from the first listen, and after a few spins you have to wonder just why this album didn't catch on to a larger audience back in 2002. Brown's vocals are excellent throughout, with Scott & Grant providing layers of harmony backing vocals to great effect. Scott's meaty riffs and blazing solos can be heard on many of these tracks, proving just what an underrated guitarist he has always been. His heavy metal riffs and whammy bar excursions on the crunchy "Neon Psychedelia" works so well against the soaring vocals...hard hitting, but really 'sweet' stuff!

If you've long thought that the career of Sweet went into the abyss in the early 1980's, you really are missing out on a few really strong releases, and Sweetlife is certainly near the top of that list. ( ) (Pete Pardo/seaoftranquility.org)