The album gets underway with its title track, a laid back soft rocker that very much sets the tone for what is to come. It is one of a handful of songs here co-written by Jim Peterik (The Ides of March; Survivor; Pride of Lions), who also contributes some guitar playing to the piece, alongside Lamm - whose pulsing bass playing perfectly compliments the grooves laid down by drummer Walfredo Reyes Jr. and percussions Ramon Yslas. Reyes has been in the band for a decade at this point, and moved from behind the percussion racks to the drum stool in 2018, and handles most of the drums on the album. His partnership with Yslas throughout is a big part of what makes this album tick - and Born for This Moment perfectly exemplifies this, as the band's trademark horn section add colour. Donell makes his debut here, and his smooth voice is perfect for the track. Lamm and the band's former keyboardist Lou Pardini add harmonies, but the focus throughout is on Donell - who nails the AOR-esque chorus with his unwavering tone. The horn section are as prominent as ever throughout the song, accenting many of the melodies and hooks perfectly, but Born for This Moment is the first Chicago album without now-retired saxophonist Walter Parazaider. Ray Hermann fills his slot here for the first time officially, although he has been associated with the band since 2006 - and also contributed to Now. Hermann is a great addition to the horn section, though, and a short horn break here exemplifies their contributions - before a final reprise of the hooky chorus brings the song to a close. Lead single If This is Goodbye follows. Donell again takes the lead vocally, but Lamm also contributes - and he takes over towards the end, with his deeper voice contrasting nicely with Donell's smoothness. The horns inject spiky melodies that sit atop the smooth bass playing of Brett Simons (who has also recently left the band), whilst simple synth textures and programmed drums give the song some punch. It is a track that feels like a throwback to the band's 1980s output, particularly thanks to the reliance synths and programmed beats, but the stronger horn presence helps to the song to have that true Chicago touch. It is a very easy song to latch onto, though, thanks to a hooky chorus - and it works well as a lead single. Firecracker, the first of a duo of songs written by Pankow and his semi-regular composing partner Greg O'Connor. Firecracker is a bit more of an upbeat track, with a funky late 1970s chorus hook, busy bass playing from Simons, and some Hammond organ swells courtesy of session player Chris Cameron. Huge vocal harmonies boost the chorus in a big way, with the addition of soulful female vocals recalling the classic Steely Dan sound somewhat, whilst the horn section are ever-present throughout - with Hermann's saxophones in particular cutting through the funky mix. Some of the lyrics feel a bit rote and dated, but they fit with the overall vibe and time period that the song is trying to evoke - and the track is fun addition to the album.
I have had this album for a month and a half or so at this point, and so far my favourite cut here is the soaring ballad Someone Needed Me the Most. Another Pankow composition, the song recalls the best of the band's 1980s albums. Donell really channels Cetera here, with his smooth, higher-pitched vocal being one of the album's standout moments - whilst the rhythm section of Simons, Reyes, and Yslas create a solid groove throughout. It is the song's chorus that makes it really stand out, though. It it is one of those choruses that shifts in tone slightly in the middle, with an epic-sounding melody coming out of nowhere - which elevates the song to the next level. The horns are featured following a short bridge, in place of a guitar solo, which works well, but the other best moment in the song for me is the closing section. Some soulful vocals from Bobby Kimball (Toto), which were apparently lifted from an old demo that Pankow had previously worked on with Kimball and never finished, are used to add a counter to Donell's smooth refrains - whilst the guitar playing of session player Tim Pierce adds a melodic hook that builds on some of the melodies which come from the horn section. Our New York Time shines the spotlight on Lamm as a principle vocalist for the first time on the album. Another collaboration between Lamm and Peterik, the song is very much an old-school Chicago track - which could have sat on Chicago V quite easily. Simons' bass once again drives everything, and the soulful horn bursts only add to the overall smoothness. The piano from producer Joe Thomas (who also co-wrote the track) adds an organic depth, whilst Lamm's own keyboards shimmer - bulking out the horn section. Lamm, who is 77 at the time of writing, is still a great vocalist. He sounds like a man half his age here, and the sultry, slightly jazzy track is perfectly suited for his slightly deeper tones - and the tasty closing guitar solo from session player Tom Bukovac pulls everything together nicely. Up next the album moves into much gentler territory with Safer Harbours - an acoustic-led ballad written by Donell. It is his only writing contribution on the album, but as a first song written for the band it is a winner. It is a soaring track, with lots of gentle acoustic guitar and piano hooks - but it expands during the chorus thanks to plenty of vocal harmonies. It is another AOR-esque moment, but it is very much rooted in ballad territory - despite plenty of big horn swells that add some drama to the track. It concludes a opening six-song run of great songs - which very much proves that Chicago still have a lot to offer. For me, though, Crazy Idea is then a bit of a dip in quality. Another Lamm/Peterik composition, the song has lots of classic Chicago hallmarks - but it feels a bit overly funky, and relies too much on programmed grooves despite the band having a great rhythm section. Some of the vocal hooks are strong, but the chorus feels a bit too close to an old disco style to really do it for me. If it was not for the horns, which are quite prominent, then the song would not really sound much at all like Chicago - and for me it is one of the weaker cuts here.
Make a Man Outta Me is stronger though. A collaboration between Pankow and former guitarist Keith Howland, the song is another laid back, slightly groovy, soft rock track. Donell turns in another excellent vocal performance throughout, whilst Howland's subtle, yet tasteful, guitar lines add some additional melodies. Donell really channels Cetera again here, and there are shades of the 1980s Chicago sound throughout - with Pankow and Howland both laying down the song's keyboard tracks as well as their respective main instruments. A short Howland guitar solo is welcome, too. Chicago have not really been a big guitar band since the death of Terry Kath, so Howland's melodic playing here - which briefly soars - adds a different vibe to the song; whilst the horns are there, as ever, grounding everything. She's Right is another strong track, and it shines the spotlight back on Lamm vocally. He put the song together with Yslas and Thomas, and Yslas' influence can certainly be heard throughout as the song is very percussion-driven. Reyes' drums generally lay down a simple beat, but Yslas builds on top of his playing - creating the grooves which Lamm then croons atop in a very bluesy manner. Building on this bluesy feel, Bukovac lays down a snarling guitar solo part way throughout the song - which builds on the moods and melodic stabs created by the horn section. The chorus is another catchy one, too, with subtle vocal harmonies - but on the whole this is a song that is more about its heft, strong grooves, and the impact that having a strong percussionist in a band can have. The focus on Lamm then continues with "The Mermaid" (Sereia Do Mar), a laid back, yacht rock-esque, piece that features a more whimsical vocal and some sombre piano playing. The horns are ever-present as always, especially during the chorus which is boosted by their melodies, and there is additional depth added throughout by a string section. Not much time is given on this album to Lamm as an instrumentalist, but his piano playing throughout the song is great, and harks back to a lot of band's earlier jazz leanings. There are a few free-form sections that showcase his playing style, and this is expanded on by Pankow - whose trombone solo is full of soul. It is a fairly downbeat track, though, which then helps You've Got to Believe hit harder as a result. It is an upbeat, poppy track written by the same outside songwriting team headed up by Thomas responsible for If This is Goodbye - which means that the track is quite similar to the earlier single. It is essentially a vehicle for Donell's poppy vocal hooks, and he reaches some impressive highs here - meaning that his performance is less smooth here than usual. Synth hooks and the occasional melody from the horn section help to add some depth, but on the whole this is a very simple song that is meant as a feel-good piece - and it succeeds on those grounds.
For the Love returns to Lamm's more laid back approach, and the song is quite similar in tone to "The Mermaid" (Sereia Do Mar), thanks to its slow-burning bass melodies and Lamm's sultry vocals. There is little of his bluesy approach here, and the track is very much a whimsical one - with plenty of distant acoustic guitar chords and the return of the aforementioned string section. The string section allows the song to soar, and they are used in a much more prominent way this time, giving the song a real orchestral vibe. A violin solo from Desislava Kondova adds to the song's classical aspirations, but a programmed drum groove and Pankow's deep trombone accents help to ground the song in Chicago's general poppy realm. If This isn't Love returns to a fuller, jazz rock sound that has characterised Chicago throughout their career - but it is very much one that is focused on pop hooks. The chorus is another winner, which Donell delivers with ease, backed up by songwriter Loughnane who harmonises well with Donell nicely (as well as contributing additional guitar and synths throughout). The song is Loughnane's only songwriting contribution to the album, but it is a great addition here. The hooks soar, and the chorus is one of the better efforts of the album's back end. Current Chicago keyboardist Loren Gold adds some strident piano melodies throughout, too, and his playing particularly drives the chorus - whilst the soaring horn arrangements create a joyous vibe throughout, which gives the song that trademark Chicago feel. The album then comes to a close with the laid back and relatively low key House on the Hill, another Lamm composition that features his deeper voice and plenty of keyboard playing that is backed up by his own bass playing. This is the song here that features the least amount of musicians, so it feels rather focused. It is a groove-based track, with Reyes and Yslas featured prominently, whilst Hermann swaps his saxophone for a flute. Hermann adds lots of flute melodies throughout, and his playing adds a different feel to the song - whilst session player Hank Linderman lays down acoustic guitar hooks which play off Lamm's funky keyboards nicely. There are better songs here, but ending the album on a song that focuses so heavily on Lamm and his trademark style was wise. Donell will take most of the vocal plaudits here, but Lamm is one of Chicago's main driving forces - and House on the Hill very much feels like an old-school song that he would have written in the past. It rounds out the album nicely with its grooves and fairly stripped back sound - allowing things to end on a more relaxing note following a fairly upbeat pop anthem. It is one of those reflection pieces, too, and it helps you to think back over the last hour or so of music. For me, Born for This Moment is an excellent album - especially from a band so late in their career. The amount of session players give it a bit of a committee feel, but there is enough input from Chicago's main players to give it the band's classic sound - and there are a number of songs here that would have been hits had they been released in the 1970s or 1980s. I get the impression that the band feel that this will likely be their last album, hence If This is Goodbye, and if it turns out to be such then it will be a fine way to bow out after over 50 years in the business. I do hope that we hear more from the band, but with Lamm now 77 I feel that it is probably unlikely, sadly.
The album was released on 15th July 2022 via BMG Rights Management (US) LLC. Below is the band's promotional video for If This is Goodbye.
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