Winger's 'Seven' - Album Review

I would say that it is hard to believe that Winger's last studio album Better Days Comin' (which I reviewed here) was released nine years ago - but if I did I would be lying. For a Winger fan, the wait between the release of Better Days Comin' in 2014 and the beginning of May 2023 felt like an eternity. The New York City-based band have never been the most prolific, especially given that they were on hiatus between most of 1994 and 2006, but a nine year wait between albums for an active band defied all odds. In truth, though, Winger have often been put on the back burner for a number of reasons. Guitarist Reb Beach has been a member of Whitesnake since 2002, whose fairly regular tours have often kept Winger off the road, whilst bandleader Kip Winger has tended to dedicate more time to composing classic music of late - and given that he has won awards for doing so it is not hard to see why. These reasons, along with some others no doubt, have conspired to limit Winger's time - but their legions of fans finally got to celebrate last month when the band's long-awaited seventh studio album was released. Appropriately, and perhaps boringly, called Seven, this latest album is the first thing to come out of the Winger camp since Better Days Comin' - which I enjoyed quite a bit when it was released but I have not returned to it all that regularly since. The Winger of more recent years has certainly been tougher-sounding and less glittery than the original version of the band which had some success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This is no bad thing, though, and the band's more recent albums, particularly 2009's Karma, are generally strong. Perhaps it is fair to say that Better Days Comin' did not quite have the staying power, though, but a new Winger album is always worth picking up - so it was with excitement that I pre-ordered Seven. Interestingly, it is the band's first album since 1990's In the Heart of the Young to feature original keyboard player and guitarist Paul Taylor. He had been playing live with the band on and off around the time of Better Days Comin' but has been a permanent fixture again since 2018. As such, then, Seven features all four of Winger's original members - with Kip, Beach, and Taylor once again joined by ever-present drummer Rod Morgenstein. It is also the band's second album, alongside 2006's IV, to feature a five-piece line-up - as long-time guitarist John Roth has remained with the band despite Taylor re-joining. Having three guitar players in the band has certainly helped to toughen up Winger's sound further on Seven, but perhaps the biggest difference here is the abundance of keyboards used throughout. Winger did not have a full-time keyboard player for a number of years, with Kip playing keyboards live and Roth swapping to bass during a couple of older ballads, but Seven features synths more prominently than has been the case in years. As such, the album has a real sheen to it - and there are times when the band seem to hark back to their early days somewhat, despite the tougher, guitar-heavy sound of modern Winger still dominating.

Given this mix of sounds, I think that Seven could well be my favourite thing that the band have put out since In the Heart of the Young. Winger never lost sight of hooks, but this album feels hookier than their other recent releases - with the first half of the album in particular filled with gold. Lead single Proud Desperado kicks things off, which was co-written by hit-maker Desmond Child. Those expecting a sappy ballad should think again, though, as the song is a crunchy rocker - and Child's involvement is something of a surprise. That said, though, the song is packed full of hooks, and the album gets off to a great start with its crunching, hypnotic riff. This riff forms the basis of the verses, creating a strong groove alongside Morgenstein's punchy drums, whilst Taylor's synths add plenty of depth. I heard this song before the album was released, and it drew me in straight away. It has the hallmarks of modern Winger, but the chorus feels more hook-orientated than some other recent singles - and Kip's voice still sounds excellent despite his delivery becoming a bit grittier over the years. The weight of the army of guitarists is felt throughout the grooves - and the mid-paced rhythm only helps the song to feel meatier. Beach's guitar solo is typically busy, with lots of whammy bar tricks, and it feels like a moment of chaos in what is an otherwise precise tune. Heaven's Falling picks up the pace a little, but retains some of the groove-based approach of the previous song. The opening riff harks back to the 1980s a little, with Taylor adding a synth melody to back it up, whilst the verses feel a little more stripped back. Kip's bass drives everything here, whilst a halo of keyboards add depth. Latter portions of the verse are backed by a chiming guitar lead, too, as the song builds towards another hooky chorus - which revisits the song's opening riff and keyboard melody to create a surprisingly smooth delivery. This smooth vibe is continued by Beach in his solo, which is more melodic than his previous offering, and it sums up the overall feel of the song - which has a bit of Winger's past and present. Tears of Blood ups the crunch, and the song goes for a mid-paced feel with a chug that suits the modern band's vibe. The guitars generally plod along, with an Eastern-tinged keyboard backing, whilst a brief guitar lead opens things up. In many ways, this song is typical of Winger's last handful of albums. The track feels quite cinematic, which is in-keeping with how the band have operated of late, but it is also very vocal-centric. The riffing is crunchy and heavy, but it is also simple and stripped back. The band generally provide a heavy and atmospheric backing for Kip's vocals - so the song is a real showcase for his modern, impassioned delivery. The song's atmospheric side is doubled-down on during a bridge section, which features Taylor's keyboards backing some spoken word lines, before Beach's short solo adds a brief injection of guitar heroics - which is welcome given the song's otherwise slab-like presentation.

Resurrect Me is the polar opposite, though, and the upbeat song is likely my favourite cut here. It feels like Kip and Beach deliberately tried to write a Winger song from the 1980s, and the experiment was a success. The song has a great energy throughout, with an opening hooky guitar lead setting the tone, but the best part overall is the chorus. There are lots of strong choruses here, but Resurrect Me's chorus feels like a deliberate throwback to the band's first couple of albums. It is big and bright, and Kip's strident vocal hooks are backed by walls of harmonies - whilst Beach lays down a snappy guitar lead during it, trading off with the vocals. Despite this focus on hooks, this is still a song for the guitarists, too. Beach lays down a lot of leads here, and his solo feels like a real throwback to the era of shred. I am surprised that the song was not released as a single, as it is easily the hookiest thing on the album in my opinion - but there is still a weight to it. The band's modern crunch remains, but the 1980s trappings are welcome, and the song is a personal favourite as a result. Voodoo Fire is also hooky with another strong chorus, but the 1980s additions have generally been stripped away here - with the song instead being another crunchy, mid-paced rocker akin to much of the rest of the album. The pace feels slower than is typical, though, but this only helps the song to sound heavier and bluesier. The overall feel is a bit more organic than much of the rest of the album, and there is a bit of a 1970s classic rock strut throughout - especially during the foot-stomping chorus. Beach's guitar solo is less chaotic, too, and also goes for a bluesy approach. As such, the song has quite an old-school feel - and likely pays tribute to some of the band's early influences. Broken Glass then slows the pace down quite considerably, and acts as the album's first ballad. Despite this, there is still a darkness to the song - with Taylor's keyboards creating a sombre atmosphere which Kip then sings atop whilst strumming an acoustic guitar. The verses are quite stripped back, then, with the vocals generally dominating against this atmospheric backing, but the chorus is weightier - with the rest of the band joining in for a hooky, yet downbeat, section. A surprise contained within this song, too, is a Taylor guitar solo. As far as I am aware he has not contributed a guitar solo to any Winger song previously, even those he wrote back in the day, but his slow-burning, emotional solo is a perfect addition to the sombre song - and given how keyboard-heavy the track it is, it is fitting that he also gets to solo. It's Okay then picks up the pace again, and is another crunchy, mid-paced hard rocker - but some of the 1980s trappings of Resurrect Me have been included again. It is not as bombastic or as hooky as the previous song, but a snappy pre-chorus section features some poppy vocal melodies which are again backed by some big vocal harmonies - although the chorus itself is more typical of the band's modern sound with a more cinematic approach. There are still plenty of hooks throughout, though, and the song is another strong addition to the album - with a great mix of old and new present again.

Another personal favourite of mine is the faster-paced and heavy Stick the Knife in and Twist, which reminds me of many of the best cuts from Karma - which was a punchy album overall. The guitar riffing throughout is weighty and busy, whilst Kip's bass playing brings everything together with its rumbling tone. The verses steam along with Morgenstein's drumming leading everything, but the song really explodes with its pre-chorus and chorus sections - with feature more vocal harmonies and lightning-fast melodies. The chorus itself features some excellent call-and-response vocals between Kip and the rest of the band, with some 1980s gang vocals, whilst the song's guitar solo section is busy and features some great back-and-forth shredded melodies. This focus on energy and the hooks throughout make the song another standout cut for me, and it would certainly work well live should the band decide to play it. One Light to Burn, co-written by Roth, returns to a sound more akin to the album's typical approach. Kip and Beach write most of Winger's modern material, but Roth has made a few strong contributions in recent years - and One Light to Burn adds to his list of Winger numbers. It does not do anything to change up the band's modern approach, but as an example of where the band generally are now it works well. The typical cinematic approach returns, with Taylor's keyboards dominating during certain sections, whilst the riffing throughout is generally crunching and mid-paced - although there is perhaps a slight bluesier sound overall which showcases the difference in Roth's approach to his instrument. He also takes the guitar solo here, which is less shred-heavy than Beach's approach - but it fits the overall tone of the song, adding to its overall bluesy expression nicely. Do or Die opens slowly, with acoustic guitars and Kip's vocals, so it gives the impression that it is going to be another ballad - but the song soon explodes into another strong mid-paced rocker. That being said, though, the arrangement throughout is quite dynamic, and the song is not as full-on as some of the others. The chorus, for example, feels a bit more spacious - and later verses also feel a bit more stripped back. Taylor's keyboards play a big role here, filling out all of the more spacious moments - and the song overall feels like it has a bit more room to breathe as a result. There are still big guitars when there needs to be, and the mix of crunch and atmosphere works well. I have used the word 'cinematic' quite a bit here, and this song pushes that feeling to the next level overall - but it still very much feels like modern Winger despite this more progressive approach.

Time Bomb then returns to the album's core sound in a big way, and opens with a snappy riff which is perhaps one of the album's best. Despite the guitar playing on this album being excellent within the context of the sound, the riffing throughout is generally quite simple and 'expansive' rather than busy and melodic in its own sense. Time Bomb's riff is a bit more of a hook in and of itself, then, which does help the song to stand out - but in general it is more of the same. There are plenty of grooves throughout, and the chorus returns to the call-and-response vocal approach used earlier on in the album. This helps the chorus hooks to shine, as they are memorable, whilst Roth again takes the solo here and lays down some precise leads which suit the overall grooves. The album then comes to a close with the relatively lengthy It All Comes Back Around, which is something of a ballad - but in general is a song which showcases a more progressive arrangement. It opens with Kip's voice sitting against a sombre piano backing, which slowly increases in intensity - before the rest of the band crash in. A melodic keyboard line backs the crunchy guitar build-up, but the song as a whole is one that goes for a more dynamic approach. The verses are keyboard-driven and ballad-esque, with the chorus revisiting the crunchy guitars from earlier to create a melodic backing for Kip's howled vocals. Winger have occasionally gone for a more progressive sound, and this song could be their most successful at doing so yet. It does not sound like Yes or anything like that, but the arrangement is big and varied, and the use of keyboards throughout is interesting - with Taylor making his return to the band felt here. The keyboards create a strong atmosphere throughout, but there are still plenty of hooks - with the chorus being memorable despite its slower pace. The real star of the show, though, is Beach - and the song closes out with his best solo on the album. It is quite lengthy, and it showcases a more slow-burning approach than his usual style, but his note choices soar - and the solo really develops as it moves along, eventually reaching a shredded conclusion as the aforementioned keyboard melody then takes over to see the song slowly fade out. It is an epic way to end the album, and the song is another personal favourite due to how it builds and makes use of the band's big, modern sound. As such, then, Seven is a great album from Winger - and one that I am happy to own despite the long wait for it. All of the songs here are memorable in one way or another, and the band's mature approach to songwriting shines - despite a few knowing nods back to their past. There is a lot to like here, and Winger fans will certainly get their money's worth with Seven. I just hope it is not another nine years until the next one!

The album was released on 5th May 2023 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Proud Desperado.