Cinderella - Still Climbing [Holland Import]

Still Climbing finds Cinderella digging into hard-edged blues rock in 1994, a gritty, determined record now on 180 gram black vinyl as a Holland import.

The Philadelphia band had ruled MTV in the late 1980s, but by the mid-90s the musical landscape had shifted and Tom Keifer's group were swimming against the tide. Rather than chase trends, they leaned harder into the bluesy, Stones-flavoured rock that had always run underneath their big hits, making what would turn out to be their final studio album.

"Bad Attitude Shuffle" kicks things off with a raucous, swaggering groove, while "Hard to Find the Words" is a classic Cinderella power ballad, aching and widescreen. "Talk Is Cheap" and the title track bring hard-charging riffs and Keifer's unmistakable rasp, a voice that sounds like it was cured in whiskey and late nights.

The guitars are thick and earthy, the arrangements more rootsy than glam, and the whole record has the feel of a band playing for themselves rather than for the charts, which is exactly its charm.

Long overlooked by casual fans, it is a rewarding listen for anyone who loves Long Cold Winter and Heartbreak Station, and a fine reminder of how good this band really were.