Night Ranger – Don’t Let Up

It may be a daunting task when your next studio album follows an excellent double live album release but with ‘Don’t Let Up’, San Francisco veteran rockers Night Ranger make it look easy. Self produced and released via Frontiers Music its the perfect album to blast out in the car with the windows wound down. Eleven songs consisting of classy AOR that stand up to the quality of their early 80’s output, point proven by the crunching hard rock of opener ‘Somehow Someway’. Their trademark hooks weave around the sturdy drumming from Kelly Keagy lead into a massive chorus lead by the golden voice of Jack Blades. Wailing guitar solos midway precede a full on end to the song.

Other highlights are the ‘Rock You Like A Hurricane’ tinged ‘Running Out Of Time’. A heavy opening riff backed with Thin Lizzy like twin guitar flourishes pave the way for another driving lead vocal. ‘Truth’ strangely sounds like ‘Stacey’s Mom’ featuring slow burning melodic balladry at its best with a vibrato heavy lead break. A return to the big riffs in ‘Day And Night’ stab through a Uriah Heep like keyboard tinged opus. The title track is hook laden AOR with sugar sweet lead and backing vocals and has radio airplay written all over it.

‘(Won’t Be Your) Fool Again’ is a great curve ball of lazy barroom boogie full of intense slide guitar. Thumping power chords add muscle to this headbanger and the blistering twin lead breaks will have you reaching for your air guitar. The album ends on a high with ‘Nothing Left Of Yesterday’, a ballad to rival ‘Sister Christian’ for sheer emotion. It grabs your heart strings from the off primarily from the highly charged lead vocal. The twin lead breaks from Keri Kelly and Brad Gillis compliment the mood.

Album track listing :- 

Somehow Someway.

Running Out Of Time.

Truth.

Day And Night.

Don’t Let Up.

(Won’t Be Your) Fool Again.

Say What You Want.

We Can Work It Out.

Comfort Me.

Jamie.

Nothing Left Of Yesterday.

Night Ranger band line up :-

Kelly Keagy – Drums/vocals.

Brad Gillis – Guitars/backing vocals.

Jack Blades- Lead vocals/bass guitar.

Eric Levy – Keyboards/backing vocals.

Keri Kelli – Guitars.