Paul Laine has released The Long Road Back, and for once an album title appears to have survived the music industry’s tendency toward exaggeration.
Out now through Frontiers Music Srl, the record brings Laine back to his solo career after a musical journey that has included Danger Danger, The Defiants, Darkhorse, Shugaazer and Jetset Junkies. Laine describes the album as a return to where he started, “a kid with a guitar” trying to make sense of love, loss, hope and everything that tends to provide songwriters with job security.
Joining Laine are some familiar faces, including longtime collaborator Bruno Ravel on bass and production, Scotty “Hooch” Taylor on drums and Andrew Oye on lead guitar. Laine and Ravel produced the album together.
The release is accompanied by “Someday,” a new single co-written with Oye. Its video expands on the song’s themes by focusing on different forms of love and connection, from family and friendship to animals, compassion and everyday acts of kindness. Laine describes the song as his contribution to the idea that those connections can still bring people together in a divided world.
Elsewhere, The Long Road Back stays planted in melodic-rock territory, with songs including “Love Me Or Leave Me” and “Don’t Let Me Go Tonite” leaning into the big hooks, guitars and choruses that have followed Laine throughout much of his career.
Coming full circle is one of those phrases the music business likes to use whenever an artist looks backward for five minutes. In Laine’s case, after all the bands, records and miles between solo albums, he may have actually earned it.
The Long Road Back is available now through Frontiers Music Srl.
Information provided by Paul Laine’s publicity team.