The new SUNSTORM album is upon us and I have to say I have been looking forward to this one. Not only is Joe Lynn Turner one of my favorite voices but also I really like hearing him sing smooth AOR, so it would seem this would be the perfect project to satisfy both for me. Plus Joe is a fellow Jersey boy, so that certainly gives him a few extra points too!

Anyway, the music is what counts, so let’s get into “House of Dreams” and see if it stands up to expectations.

The album opens with “Divided” and right out of the gate you know this is gonna be a special one. It reminds me of the sound of Joe’s debut solo disc “Rescue You” in a way. Its more updated sounding than that 1985 release but it just seems to have that same vibe. A good start for sure!

“Don’t Give Up” follows up the opener and it showcases JLT’s smooth vocals and I have to say I really like the use of the keyboards so far and also the production (thanks to Dennis Ward) is full and lush. If you have the debut SUNSTORM album then you what to expect here but if this type of music is your bag then what’s on offer her is simply top-notch.

“The Spirit Inside” is a mid-tempo tune with an uplifting vibe and the sounds coming out of the speakers continue to make me marvel at the production of this disc. Some of these “project” discs can suffer a bit in the “warmness” department as they are recorded in separate studios and pieced together by the producer, but that certainly doesn’t have that feel on “House of Dreams”.

“I Found Love” kicks things up a notch with its up-tempo AOR sound complete with swirling keys and a killer chorus from Turner. An early favorite and true highlight so far!

“Say You Will” is the first ballad of the album and right away, you hear the Jim Peterik influence on this one. Peterik-penned tunes are very identifiable to anyone who is familiar with his work. The man is a talented songwriter and TURNER turns in a nice performance on this one.

Another PETERIK-penned tune follows with “Gutters Of Gold” and much like the previous track this song sounds like it could have come off any of the PRIDE OF LIONS releases that Peterik has put out in the last few years. And that certainly isn’t a bad thing in any way, shape or form! It’s maybe a tad “tougher” in overall sound but that suits Turner’s vocals just fine.

A song I am familiar with is next as “Save A Place In Your Heart” (penned by Paul Sabu and featured on his classic debut “Only Child” release) is a classy tune with AOR written all over it. In a head to head competition with the original I may like the “Only Child” version a tad bit better but a good song is a good and the production on “House of Dreams” wins out in the long run.

“Forever Now” is a Joe Lynn Turner-penned tune that originally appeared on the “Back To Eden” release from ex-STRANGWAYS singer Terry Brock back in 2001. It’s interesting to hear JLT’s take on it now. Even though he pretty much does a straight-on rendition compared to Brock’s it’s just such a great AOR tune.

The sentimental ballad “Tears On The Page” (a Jim Peterik/Russ Ballard co-write) is a great song with Joe’s smooth vocals carrying the song throughout. It’s amazing as you think all the years Turner has been in this game and his voice is as strong as ever. The man is a true professional.

The title track is up next as “House of Dreams” brings a cool guitar riff layered over some nice stabbing keys. A cool AOR track… nothing more nothing less.

Rounding out the album is “Walk On”. It’s another sentimental track of sorts and pure AOR at its best.

“House of Dreams”, if you’re familiar with SUNSTORM, is exactly what you expect… a top-notch and classy AOR record. Joe Lynn Turner turns in a just about flawless performance as do the other players on the record. It’s definitely a top in the genre for 2009 so far.