iTune Editors’ Notes:

Cinderella frontman Tom Keifer found the sweet spot for his debut solo album. Once told he’d never sing again due to a partially paralyzed left vocal cord, Keifer shows no sign of letting up here. He takes his glam metal roots and transforms them into a new century’s hard heartland rock. The album’s first single, “The Flower Song,” sounds like it was found on the hardscrabble streets just outside of Bruce Springsteen and Willy DeVille’s neo-classic rock ‘n’ roll neighborhood, with a full-on organ adding a serious touch of ’70s romance to Keifer’s arsenal. However, it’s the hard, hard rock that’s clearly Keifer’s preferred spot, and the album’s other single, “Solid Ground,” cranks up the dirty guitars in a way not often heard in 2013. Similarly, “Mood Elevator” hits hard and fast, reminding one of Rod Stewart at his cockiest. “Cold Day in Hell,” with its wrenching harmonica, turns in dirty-blues-style rock ‘n’ roll. “Thick and Thin” takes a power ballad and shoves it toward The Black Crowes’ side of the line. “Babylon” shows off a blistering rhythm section. Old-school ’80s rockers will feel right at home.