Album Review: Grand - Guilty Pleasure (Frontiers Music, 2026)

Written: 2nd August 2026

Swedish melodic rockers Grand have enjoyed a steady rise since the release of their self-titled debut in 2022, following it with the well-received Second To None (review here) two years later. Since then, the band has evolved from a trio into a fully-fledged five-piece, with vocalist Mattias Olofsson and guitarist Jakob Svensson now joined by Johannes Arvidsson (bass), Maja Thorén (keyboards) and Axel Nilsson (drums). Arriving during what the band describe as an especially productive period, Guilty Pleasure finds Grand returning with their third studio album and another opportunity to strengthen their position with the contemporary AOR scene.

Grand know exactly what sort of band they want to be and this is obvious from the very first notes of Guilty Pleasure. Shimmering keyboards immediately transport us back to the eighties and a sparkling  motif set the scene and Mattias Olofsson, who has the perfect voice for such music, slowly unveils the narrative. Layers of instrumentation are added as drums and guitars build towards a soaring guitar solo that fans of AOR will adore. Lyrically, Wild Heart is a nostalgic reflection on first love and youthful freedom, while exploring the attraction of opposites. We chased every sunrise / We broke every rule / But love is not enough for the one / With a heart that won’t be schooled / I tried my best to hold you / But you always flew too high / Just like a wild wind soaring / Through an open sky. While slower and more measured than many opening tracks, Wild Heart demonstrates Grand's understanding of songcraft, patiently building towards a memorable climax while establishing the character of Guilty Pleasure.

Guilty Pleasure follows and Grand go all out to show we should never need to justify that which we enjoy. The guilty pleasure of the title track is finding comfort in films and soundtracks of the eighties and nineties. Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Meryl Streep all receive namechecks in a catchy, feelgood track that features a singalong chorus, a key change and any other melodic rock trope you care to mention. However, that is the whole point of Grand’s music and they embrace each of them fully. Jakob Svensson certainly knows how to write a hook and melodic guitar solo and the album contains numerous example of this.  

Have A Little Faith In Me and Coldhearted further underline Grand's strengths as songwriters, with the latter proving one of the album's standout tracks. There is a little more urgency to the bass and drums than has been evident previously and, while still unmistakably Grand, adds a touch of variety that arrives at exactly the right moment. Its tale of regret and self-reflection following the collapse of a relationship also reflects the album's broader lyrical ideas. Shadows on the wall were your picture hung / Echoes of a love that’s forever gone / Can’t escape the truth / The damage that I did to you. The lyrics throughout Guilty Pleasure are deliberately straightforward, focusing on familiar emotions and experiences rather than complex narratives or hidden meanings, but these songs are all the more effective for their directness.

Grand’s sense of exuberance explodes with colour during Party Galore. It is pure soft rock escapism focused on excitement and living for the moment, neatly summing up the band's attitude to their music. Still So Beautiful celebrates commitment, shared experiences and growing older together, finding beauty in a relationship that has survived life's challenges. Almost any Grand song would work well in the live arena and with a saxophone solo that further enhances the song's unmistakable eighties feel, Still So Beautiful is a prime candidate for an audience with arms raised, swaying from side to side and united in the enjoyment of the moment.

I'm Ready brings the tempo back up a little and, although there is much to enjoy elsewhere, personally I find that Grand are at their most compelling when they step on the accelerator a little. Undo demonstrates this neatly, contrasting more restrained verses with choruses that carry considerably more momentum. It is a melancholic examination of heartbreak and lose and the wish that mistakes could be reversed. I can't stay another minute in this old house / 'Cause everything I touch reminds me of you / Every day, I fight the pain / Every night, I feel insane / As I reach for what I had to get through.

Amelie and Beggin' occupy similar musical territory and both rival Coldhearted as my favourite track on Guilty Pleasure. The solo in Amelie is handed to keyboardist Maja Thorén who makes the most of the opportunity with plenty of eighties-inspired widdly-widdly verve. Beggin' maintains the pace and features one of Mattias Olofsson's finest performances on the album, including a mid-song scream that provides the cue for Jakob Svensson to deliver yet another superb solo.

When reviewing Second To None, I commented that I generally prefer albums to conclude on a more up-tempo note and that remains my personal preference. That is not intended as a criticism of the song itself, as the addition of strings provides a welcome variation. However, given the sense of fun and celebration that runs through so much of Guilty Pleasure, I cannot help feeling it might have worked even better elsewhere in the running order. However, that says more about my fondness for ending albums with one final burst of excitement than it does about the quality of the song itself.

Photo credit: Johan Larsson

Guilty Pleasure reflects a new line-up that appears entirely comfortable with what each member brings to the table, allowing individual contributions to shine without ever losing sight of the song itself. As the band themselves explain, “The album is a collection of our own guilty pleasures. We’ve blended AOR with ’80s rock and pop into a high-energy mix filled with pure joy - all wrapped in a modern, high-end production. With a strong five-member lineup, we’re back bigger and bolder than ever.” In that respect, Guilty Pleasure achieves exactly what it sets out to do. The influence of artists such as Toto, Foreigner and Starship runs throughout the album, but rather than simply recreating the past, Grand use those influences as the foundation for a collection of songs that feels both affectionate and genuine. Listeners who enjoy slick melodic rock will find much to admire here, while those who remember this style of music at its commercial peak may find themselves revisiting a few fond memories along the way. Grand may wear their influences proudly but the enthusiasm with which these songs are delivered make them difficult to resist.