Night Ranger's 'ATBPO' - Album Review

Night Ranger are one of those bands who have always straddled the line between hard rock and AOR. While most of the band's biggest hits in 1980s were on the more melodic rock side of things, the band could always rock out when they wanted to. Many of the band's album tracks throughout their heyday were much riffier and heavier than their more well-known songs; and it is this somewhat heavier side that the band have been pursuing more fully in recent years. The modern day Night Ranger still like to tap into the AOR seam every so often, but the bulk of the band's most recent albums have been much more consistently rocky and bluesier than much of their earlier work. This slight shift in sound has helped the veteran act to age gracefully, and the overall grittiness of modern Night Ranger works well. It helps too that the band have not lost any of their knack for writing a catchy hook. While the band's modern sound may be tougher than much of their earlier work, there are still plenty of melodies to be found. The band's AOR side is still shown off, but usually in the context of bigger and bluesier riffs. These are the reasons why 2011's Somewhere in California and 2014's High Road received a lot of excellent reviews when they were released. It can sometimes be hard for bands who were part of the US 1980s melodic rock scene to receive favourable press when it comes to their new albums, but Night Ranger managed it with both of their albums from the early 2010s. 2017's Don't Let Up (which I reviewed here) was the first album of the band's that I bought upon release, but looking back the band's twelfth album was not as strong as the handful that preceded it. It was an album that I enjoyed around the time of its 2017 release, but I have not revisited it for a long time. The hooks just were not as catchy as usual, and perhaps the band took the bluesiness too far on Don't Let Up - losing some of their trademark identity in the process. It is an album that I should definitely revisit, as I wrote positively about it at the time, but I have a feeling that the band's newly released thirteenth album will be the one that I will be reaching for for some time. For me ATBPO (which stands for And the Band Played On) fixes the faults, such as they were, of Don't Let Up and is an album more akin to the band's output of the early 2010s. The balance of bluesiness, rocking riffs, and catchy melodies is re-struck throughout ATBPO; and the album has a real freshness to it as a result. It is the second album to feature the band's current line-up, with founding members Jack Blades, Brad Gillis, and Kelly Keagy once again joined by keyboardist Eric Levy and the relative new face of Keri Kelli on guitars. All five band members really pull together and shine throughout ATBPO, with a dynamic and varied collection of songs showcasing the band's hard rock credentials perfectly - as well as occasionally showing a slip into a more gentle frame of mind.

Despite the more varied approach taken throughout ATBPO, there is still plenty of riffing to be found. In fact Coming For You, the album's opening cut, roars out of the gate with a strident hard rock riff - backed by a quick pace thanks to Keagy's punchy drumming. Coming For You is a great representation of the modern Night Ranger sound as it mixes harder riffs and strong melodies perfectly. The punchy verses have a bit of a call-and-response style, with bass-led sections punctuated by stop-start riffing, while the choruses are more overtly-melodic. Both Blades and Keagy share the vocals throughout the song, and often harmonise with each other nicely - particularly throughout the choruses. This dual vocal approach has always been a big part of the Night Ranger sound, and the band's two lead singers shine as always throughout Coming For You - and indeed the whole album. As such, the song contains a bit of everything that has made Night Ranger great throughout the years, including a ripping guitar solo, so it kicks off the album in fine style. Bring it all Home to Me is it not as fast and furious as the album's opening cut, and instead whips up a mid-paced strut from the off. While Coming For You showcased the band's harder rock edge, Bring it all Home to Me is much more melodically focused. Levy's keyboards are much more prominent throughout, which helps the song to recall the band's 1980s sound, while the chorus is a pure slab of AOR with some really infectious hooks and lots of subtle vocal harmonies. It is a song that would have probably been a hit in the 1980s, but sadly in the modern world it is a song that only those who continue to follow Night Ranger closely will ever hear. That is a shame, but those who attend a show on the band's upcoming tour are sure to enjoy hearing the song live - as the band have already started to include it in their setlists. This is not surprising given the song's emphasis on hooks, and it is the sort of song that I want to be hearing from the band in the 21st Century. Breakout returns to the more hard rocking vibes of Coming For You, but also sounds like a real throwback to the 1980s. It is one of the album's main singles, but it also sounds like a song that could have sat on Dawn Patrol or Midnight Madness back in the day - just with a more modern production. The musicianship throughout the song is excellent, and it is one of the busiest from a guitar-playing perspective. The snaking riffs and interlocking guitar leads that are featured throughout showcase both Blades and Kelli at their best; while Levy's synth flourishes add real depth and occasional sparkling melodies. Throw in a catchy chorus, and the song is one of the album's best cuts. This is a rare example where an album's lead single is one of its best moments, and the song is a modern Night Ranger classic that recalls their heyday perfectly.

Hard to Make it Easy has more of an organic feel overall, with acoustic guitars and a more laid back overall tone. I have seen a number of reviews of this album that have referenced the amount of modern country sounds that can be heard throughout. I do not think that I quite agree with the prevalence of this view, but there are certainly songs that take a different approach from the norm. Hard to Make it Easy, for me, actually has more of a southern rock feel than a country one - with a great dual-guitar lead opening the song up, before Levy's barroom piano drives the verses. I suppose the line between southern rock and country rock can be a fine one, but for me there is too much weight here for the song to be classed as truly being country. Keagy's drums still punch their way through the speakers, and the prevalence of lead guitar lines and solos root the song in Night Ranger's wheelhouse. The chorus vocal melodies do have a slight country bent to them, but overall the song still has enough of a toughness for me to sit neatly on the album. Can't Afford a Hero slows things down, and is the first of the album's ballads. Night Ranger have always been known for their ballads, so it should surprise no-one that ATBPO has its share. I think it is songs like Can't Afford a Hero that have fuelled the aforementioned country comparisons, but acoustic guitars and chorus harmonies does not necessarily equal country - at least to me. To me, the song just sounds like some of the other ballads that the band have written in recent years - where the synths of the 1980s have largely been replaced by acoustic guitars. Levy's keyboards still add depth and atmosphere, but on the whole it is the guitars and vocal harmonies that dominate. Cold As December retains some of the more organic elements of the previous couple of songs, but presents them against a more traditional 1980s rock backing. The opening soaring guitar lead is one that really hooks the listener in, before a beefy riff takes over that forms the basis of the song's verse. The verses here are quite weighty, and recall the album's opening couple of tracks, while the choruses are a bit smoother - which is where the organic sounds shine the strongest. As a result, the song is a good mix of all of the album's different sounds, with toughness and melody sitting perfectly side by side. Dance opens with shades of Queen's We Will Rock You, with even some of the guitar leads recalling Brian May's trademark tone, but overall the song is another strong mid-paced rocker with a similar vibe to Bring it All Home to Me. Given the clear Queen influence however, there is a much stronger emphasis on guitar leads throughout. There are so many instances here where Gillis or Kelli interject a shot of melody into the piece with a cutting lead - which all culminate in their excellent trade-off solo that follows Keagy's passionate bridge vocal.

The Hardest Road is the album's second ballad, and it follows a similar route to Can't Afford a Hero with acoustic guitars dominating the sound. Levy adds some occasional piano melodies, as well as a synth backing, but it is once again the guitars that really drive everything. Keagy sings the song in his trademark emotionally-charged manner; his smooth voice sitting perfectly against the backdrop of synths and acoustic guitars. Blades certainly dominates the album vocally, but Keagy makes his time at the microphone count - and he has always been the better of the two when it comes to singing the bands ballads. His performance makes The Hardest Road stand out, while some excellent occasional guitar lead further help the song to stick. Monkey ups the heaviness again, and is a barrelling, bluesy, riff-based rocker that has a real swagger to it. The sound that was forged on Coming For You is certainly reused here, and it is one of the album's toughest cuts as a result. The main riff hits really hard, while the occasional shredding guitar leads inject some virtuosity. The highlight of the song for me however is its chorus, which is packed full of groove. The riffs throughout the chorus have something of a southern rock feel, at least in the groove that they create, and they perfectly back Blades' powerful vocal. A Lucky Man has a bit of a funky feeling at times, while also harking back to the 1980s somewhat too with plenty of poppy hooks. It has a bit of a different sound than usual for Night Ranger, but it works well in my opinion and still includes many of the band's classic tropes. The guitar playing throughout from both Gillis and Kelli is spot on, with funky rhythms and shredding leads constantly rearing their heads, while the hooky chorus is one that easily sticks in the brain. The song overall however just has such a joyous and upbeat feel - so it is hard not to smile while listening to it. The album comes to a close with Tomorrow, a mid-paced rocker that opens with soaring dual-guitar leads but that actually treads a more organic path. Despite the rockiness of the pace, there is an organic depth here. Acoustic guitars fill out the song, and a low keyboard riff from Levy drives the song's verses. Keagy's vocal is a perfect fit for the grand-sounding song too. His natural smoothness fits the cleaner edges that the piece has, and the overall combination helps to recall the band's historic AOR side. There is still plenty of strong guitar work however, with a soaring solo and plenty of little leads throughout to keep the track tied in with the album's core sound. Its grand approach however makes it work well as an album closer, and ATBPO ends on a high as a result. In truth though, the album does not really need to end on a high as it is full of them. This album may be my favourite of the band's recent canon, and this view is helped by the variety that is found throughout. There are a lot of different sounds to be enjoyed throughout the album, and there is something new to be heard with each listen. Fans of classy melodic rock should pick ATBPO up, and it is great to hear Night Ranger sounding so fresh so deep into their career.

The album was released on 6th August 2021 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Breakout.