By: Jesse Striewski
I never expected to be reviewing a “new” Tiffany album here in 2022, but alas, here we are. And what’s more surprising, her latest effort, Shadows, is actually pretty damn good. Forever known best for her 1987 hit cover of “I Think We’re Alone Now,” Tiffany sets out to prove she can be more than just an ’80s pop princess. In fact, Shadows closely resembles the New Wave sounds of the Go-Go’s more than what one would expect from a Tiffany record. But as previously noted, it works.
“Hey Baby” and “I Like the Rain” start things off with plenty of adrenaline, while “Cried For the Last Time” brings listeners back down to Earth, with guitar riffs akin to something one might expect from a Replacements or Cult record. There’s slower numbers that could be classified as ballads, with “I Love You” being the most effective. And then there’s the title track, an infectious little number deserving of radio play it will sadly never receive, and clearly the most well-crafted song on the entire album.
Are there some forgettable sleepers among the more memorable ones? No doubt about it (“Always in My Head” comes to mind as the most generic-sounding). But I’ve actually had the chance to see Tiffany live in concert a couple of times (and even met her on one of those occasions), and should there be a third time, I’d be more than happy to hear a few of the previously-mentioned tracks thrown in her set list; open your mind, and it’s not difficult to understand why.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
