Review: Erja Lyytinen Waiting For The Daylight

By Mike O’Cull

Finnish blues/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Erja Lyytinen pushes herself and her mighty band past genre boundaries on her new album Waiting for the Daylight.

The project is set to drop on October 7th, 2022 on the Tuohi Records imprint and features nine new original songs. Lyytinen produced the sessions herself, capturing many epic performances at The Hollywood House studio in Helsinki. She steered these tracks more towards the rock side of the blues/rock equation and shows a talent for blending her own ideas with the majesty of 70s European rock music and the skill set of a modern shredder. Erja is backed on the material by an ace band consisting of Harri Taittonen (keyboards, Hammond organ), Tatu Back (bass), and Iiro Laitinen (drums).

Though she’s known as a slide player, Lyytinen plays a boatload of fretted guitar all over the record. She employs heavy rhythms, screaming bends, and tight alternate picking as she sees fit. When she does bust out her slide, it’s as sweet as it ever was.

Erja Lyytinen is a star back home in Finland and she’s well on her way to conquering the rest of the world. She began recording her own music 17 years ago and has built a solid following and reputation as one of the top guitarists of the 21st Century. Averaging over 100 headline gigs across Europe every year, she also appeared on MTV Finland’s Tähdet, Tähdet show and won the coveted European Guitarist of the Year award. Erja has performed  with rock legend Carlos Santana.

Waiting for the Daylight gets underway with the blues/rock/pop stomper “Bad Seed.” It’s clear at once that this isn’t a blues album. Lyytinen loads the track up with everything she does well. She riffs hard, sings with unlimited power, and blends genres together so smoothly that the seams never show. Her vocals are especially impressive, going from quietly confessional to stadium-shaking rock and back again.

“Last Girl” is another tough-toned hard rocker. It’s an emotive and anthemic song in which Erja tells us her life story and how she has always pushed forward even in the most difficult times. Her layered guitar arrangement here includes tremolo-picked harmonies, shifting rhythms, and an idea-based approach that likely will make Jimmy Page smile. Lyytinen is always focused on the big picture of her songs and has no trouble balancing her chops with the kind of melodicism needed to reach a large audience.

Lyytinen’s title song “Waiting For The Daylight” kicks off with a heavy Sabbath-like riff but quickly turns into a more mellow verse before hitting its big riff again in the chorus. Erja is never afraid of dramatic shifts in vibe and creative voice, which makes her music unpredictable and keeps you listening closely. She stacks up harmonized guitar lines here once again like a boss and sings with the boldness and nuance of a global star.

The atmospheric “Diamonds On The Road” is haunting, wide open, and perfectly suited for late-night drives. The spaciousness of it and the buildup to full rock intensity make it feel like desert music but any highway will work just fine. Lyytinen delivers some of her most compelling guitar work on this one and you can hear the passion radiating out of her.

There are only nine tunes on Waiting for the Daylight, so make the most of each one. Hang out for deep cuts like “You Talk Dirty” and the closer “The End Of Music.” Erja Lyytinen has a seriously hot album here that’s going to get a lot of rock fans on her side. Make sure you’re one of them.

Pre-order link for Waiting For The Daylight Here

“Last Girl”