Closer to the Edge

Closer to the Edge, released on 8 April 2022 through Frontiers, is the fourth album. Daniel Flores produced for a third straight time — but the surroundings changed again, with Andi Kravljaca on guitar and Jonny Trobro on bass. The direction, smooth and flowing melodic rock, does not waver however the faces change. From the opening “Don't Let It End” into “Show Me the Way” and “Irreplaceable,” through the title track to “Got to Believe,” there are eleven songs. The weight of mid-tempos and ballads is high and opinion divided. But as long as Harry Hess's voice sits in the middle, the core of this name does not drift. In truth, that is the character of First Signal as a project: everyone except Hess turns over from record to record. Whichever hands on the Frontiers roster happen to be free get borrowed. Reviewers are split on whether it is a real band or simply a project — but the quality stays consistently high. There is something to the point, though, that a steadier line-up would give the players time to grow together.