On the title track to his fourth studio album, 2020's magical and funky Velvet, Adam Lambert confesses that he's feeling nostalgic and suspects he's not the only one. A dazzling, glitter-dipped exercise in '70s disco-era funk, rock, and soul, Velvet finds Lambert pulling together all of the stylistic threads that have informed his career since he soared to fame as a runner-up on American Idol in 2009. Since then, he has built a loyal fan base with his three prior albums, all of which showcase his rich tenor vocals and penchant for Broadway-level pop theatricality. Velvet takes this celebratory penchant for the dramatic in a new and delightfully retro direction. Helping him achieve this disco-era aesthetic are a handful of savvy studio wizards including Tommy English, Butch Walker, Fred Ball, and others. Distinctly old-school in production yet still contemporary in tone, the songs on Velvet smartly build upon Lambert's modern-day glitter-icon status. The title track is a sparkling, Earth, Wind Fire-style club jam while "Superpower," with its serpentine, low-end guitar riff, brings to mind Queen circa 1980. Equally evocative, "Overglow" deftly marries the sleek, descending synth hook from Hall Oates' "Maneater" to an icy, neon-toned groove that's pure Blondie. There's also a yearning, piano-driven ballad in "Closer to You" in which Lambert conjures both Ziggy Stardust-era David Bowie and classic Freddie Mercury power balladry with his throaty falsetto croon. He even gets an assist from Chic's Nile Rodgers on the sleek, American Gigolo-soundtrack-ready "Roses." While Velvet's vintage vibe is impressive, it would only be stylish window dressing if the songs weren't as catchy and inspired as they are. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi