Review: Ailafar – Shining Star

Lions Pride Music (September 29^th 2025)

Reviewer – Chris O’Connor

Founded in 2006 by guitarist and songwriter John Tzortzis in Thessaloniki, Greece, Ailafar has quietly built a reputation for melodic rock with a distinctly 1980s flavor. Since their debut in 2011, they’ve released a string of albums that wear their influences proudly, echoing the spirit of bands such as Vixen, Heart, and Bad English. ‘Shining Star‘, their fifth studio effort, continues in that tradition – an enjoyable record with flashes of brilliance that suggest it could have been something truly special.

The current line-up features the excellent Tatiana Economou on lead vocals, alongside Tzortzis (guitars), Vangelis Valis Papageorgiou (keyboards), Kostas Mavroudis (bass), and Daniel Charavitsidis (drums). Dean Mess also guests on one track, contributing vocals to ‘Dancing For Keeps’.

The album opens with ‘Integrity’, a strong statement of intent. Slightly progressive in its overtones, the track features one of Tatiana’s best vocal turns and a tasteful, fluid guitar solo from John – a pairing that proves to be the band’s greatest strength throughout the record. ‘The Ghost of You’ follows, built around an insistent riff and a subtle piano figure that complements Tatiana’s delivery. Once again, Tzortzis steps forward with a polished solo that elevates the track.

One of the album’s high points, ‘Together We Go On’, has the uplifting groove of classic Journey or Bad English. It’s here that Tatiana truly shines, her voice commanding yet warm, and the song has the sort of infectious drive that lingers after the final note. Not everything works as well. ‘Dancing For Keeps’ introduces a male vocal in place of Tatiana, a puzzling choice given how strong she is as a frontwoman. The song itself is pleasant enough, but it feels like a missed opportunity.

Fortunately, the record quickly redeems itself with ‘The Right Person’, a gorgeous, restrained ballad. With heartfelt lyrics and a delicate arrangement, it’s a genuine highlight. Tatiana’s vocal performance is filled with emotion and nuance, and John’s soloing here is sensitive and perfectly judged. That peak makes the following track, ‘Piece of the Puzzle’, feel somewhat underwhelming. It’s lifted by Tatiana’s presence, but musically it doesn’t quite rise above the ordinary.

‘Something About You’ meanwhile, is a polished power ballad in the style of Vixen or Heart – pretty, atmospheric, but ultimately lacking the spark to make it memorable. The tempo picks up with ‘These Moments’, a brisk, energetic, soft rocker that feels tailor-made for a 1980s movie soundtrack. ‘Your Avoidant Kind of Love’ is another big success, channelling a Stevie Nicks or Cher-like feel with Tatiana once more commanding centre stage while John’s guitar soars gracefully around her. The album closes with ‘Hope’, which unfortunately feels more like a gentle fade-out than a triumphant conclusion. Coming straight after the excellent ‘Your Avoidant Kind of Love’, it feels anticlimactic – fine, but lacking the drama and impact needed to end the record on a high.

So where does that leave ‘Shining Star‘? It’s a good album, and at its best, it hints at greatness. In Tatiana, Ailafar has a singer of rare quality – powerful yet expressive – and in John Tzortzis, they have a guitarist with both technical flair and melodic instinct. Together, they create moments of real magic. The problem is that those moments are scattered rather than sustained; too many tracks fall into the category of “pleasant but unremarkable.”

So,‘Shining Star‘ is enjoyable, nostalgic, and occasionally inspiring, but it doesn’t quite deliver the knockout punch it promises. Still, Ailafar has the talent and chemistry to produce something truly exceptional, and one hopes their next release will lean harder into those moments that make the listener stop and say “Wow!”

Tracklisting:

1. Integrity
2. The Ghost Of You
3. Together We Go On
4. Dancing For Keeps
5. The Right Person
6. Piece Of The Puzzle
7. Something About You
8. These Moments
9. Your Avoidant Kind Of Love
10. Hope

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