Review: Tyketto – Closer To The Sun

Silver Lining Music (March 20^th, 2026)

Reviewer – Jason Hopper

Tyketto released their debut album at a special time in my life. A junior in high school, I had just gotten into the music scene with exciting new bands coming to fruition. Like everyone else, I was hooked upon seeing ‘Forever Young’ on MTV, with my sister buying the album before me. Their debut means a lot to me, with their sophomore release ‘Strength in Numbers‘ being a strong follow-up.

Since then, I haven’t been terribly impressed with the direction of the band. Outside of the Steve Augeri misfire in ’95, they released two studio albums in the new Millenium, with their last one being ten years ago. While the albums had a few tracks I gravitated to, I found their sound to be a bit too laid back, lacking the urgency and passion of the earlier albums.

So with caution but optimism I decided to take a shot with ‘Closer To The Sun‘, with singer extraordinaire Danny Vaughn being the sole original member this go around. First single ‘Higher Than High’ was exactly what I though it would be, the modern sound the band showcased on the last couple of albums. Without getting ahead of myself, I will say this song is not even close to being the best song on the album and comparatively feels like a filler track. 

That song opens the album and then four more tracks follow, with the best being ‘Starts With A Feeling’, a solid mid-tempo rocker that should have been the lead single. With this song being Track 2, I had hopes that the band was recapturing the magic of the debut. There’s a liveliness to it and a hook that grabs you in a way that ‘Wings’ did when I first heard it.

I don’t mean to put down Tracks 3-5, because they are good songs, but they have the sound of the latter-day albums, so I was resigned to listening to an album I was going to like but not love.

Then something very interesting happened with Track 6, the title track. With the opening guitar riff, I was immediately transported back to the first album. The song ‘Closer To The Sun’ hit me hard and reminded me of my all-time favorite track from the band, ‘Burning Down Inside’. In fact, lyrically, this song is a sister track to that one, with an angelic muse coming to rescue a man in distress. A track I cannot stop playing and is sure to be a favorite, if not THE favorite track of the year.

I was blessed to think I got a song that brought me back to my youth, but then something spectacular happens…the next song continues that feeling and the album does not let up until the very end. I was blown away by the tracks that followed.

‘Harleys & Indians (Riders In The Sky)’ was up next and is a Roxette cover that is faithfully done. The band sounds energized, like they’re having a blast. The sonics on this are incredible, especially with some good sounding headphones. Kudos to the band for covering a deeper track from a great band. However, the band deviates slightly at the end, going into a double time rhythm, which takes the track over the edge and makes it the rare cover that improves slightly over the original. A fantastic rendition of a gem of a song

Then…HOLY SHIT! The band kicks off ‘Hit Me Where It Hurts’ like a rocket full of vitriol. Danny sounds on fire here and perfectly captures the jilted angst the track requires to work. A fast up-tempo beat that can easily have been a part of their earlier material.

The band slows things down with ‘The Picture’ and this is the best power ballad the band has released since ‘Standing Alone’, without a doubt. The strength is in the lyrics, about moving on from a partner and seeing your future with someone else, with that “picture” feeling wrong.  Danny works his magic here, with his voice sounds a bit more desperate and pained at the end.  Absolutely beautiful and possibly the best ballad of this year.

‘Far and Away’ starts out as an acoustic, whimsical ditty. A light, airy track about dreams, it builds in grandeur, slowly adding in more instruments and building in momentum. Out of all the songs in the latter half, this is my least favorite, but only because all the other tracks surrounding it are tremendously good.

Closer ‘The Brave‘ sounds like up-tempo, modern Bon Jovi but with passion and drive. Jon Bon Jovi doesn’t hold a candle to Danny these days. A song serving as a tribute to those who serve others in various fields. A tune probably written during the pandemic. As great as the song is, it’s the choral refrain at the end that throws it over the top. It repeats until all of the instruments fade. All you are left with is the voices until the end and it’s glorious.

It goes without saying but I’ll say it anyway. Danny Vaughn’s voice is absolutely remarkable.  Over forty years in the industry, including his brief stint with Waysted, and the man sounds as strong as he’s ever been. Few vocalists can maintain the levels they were at in their 20s and that’s one of the main reasons this album harkens back to that debut. It sounds like it could have been an album they released in 1993.

A special credit to the lyrics. I don’t have all the writers, but Danny sure had a hand in most, if not all, the lyrics and they’re meaningful and clever. These are songs you won’t be embarrassed to sing the words to out loud while driving with the windows down.

The highest compliment I can pay any album these days is that these songs make me feel young. I was moved by the second half of the album in a way that feels personal and difficult to explain.  Few albums these days do that to me, and I just love the feeling. I’m hoping you’ll feel the same way by the end of this record. A contender for album of the year.

Tracklisting:

1. Higher Than High
2. Starts With A Feeling
3. Bad For Good
4. We Rise
5. Donnowhuddidis
6. Closer To The Sun
7. Harleys & Indians (Riders In The Sky)
8. Hit Me Where It Hurts
9. The Picture
10. Far And Away
11. The Brave

 

Line-Up:

Danny Vaughn – Lead & Backing Vocals, Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Harmonica, Keyboards & Percussion

Chris Childs – Bass Guitar, Percussion, Keyboards, Backing Vocals

Johnny Dee – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals

Harry Scott Elliott – Lead And Rhythm Electric Guitars, Percussion, Backing Vocals

Ged Rylands – Keyboards, Percussion, Backing Vocals

Web Links:

Official Website

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