Night Ranger Don't Let Up cd review

Night Ranger release new cd Dont Let Up on March the 24th via Frontiers Records Srl which is their first studio cd to feature Keri Kelli on guitar and the follow up to High Road in 2014.

Last year's quite stunning live cd and dvd 35 Years And A Night In Chicago showcased a band at the top of it's game still kicking ass and still producing quality new material unlike many of their contemporaries who peddle the same set year after year with no need to feed on the creative juices.

Don't Let Up is Night Ranger's 12th studio cd in a career that started with 1982's Dawn Patrol opus and has seen the band sell more than 17 million albums and tour the world relentlessly.

Don't Let Up does just that with 11 tracks all featuring the band's trademark of big guitars,huge guitar melodies and solo's to die for and choruses from heaven with hooks and world class vocals from Jack Blades ( on bass) and Kelly Keagy (on drums).

I would go as far as to say it rocks a bit harder than the last 2 cd's with some killer guitar work not only in the solo's but the riffs have a real edge to them with Running Out Of Time a casing point with a superb hard hitting riff and pounding drums and twin guitar melodies from Kelli and Brad Gillis who still makes noises from his guitar very few can match.
The wonderful chorus with Jack and Kelly trading lines feels so summery and needs a car with the top down and the stereo on max.Brilliant.

Somehow Someway kicks it off style with an uptempo rocker with a big chorus and even bigger backing vocals and twin guitar melodies appearing at will.Love it when that happens as the main riff carries on but these magical guitar parts draw the attention.Brad's guitar solo starts as only he can before Keri joins him in the twin guitar attack.

Truth takes the pace down a little with Jack's vocal having a real depth to it as again guitar melodies abound with no real main guitar riff in the first verse before one kicks in second verse before it dips again on the chorus.

Day And Night made it's debut on last year's live cd and it's studio counterpart has a real live feel to it as the whole album does.Keagy really drives the track with pounding drums and how the man sings so beautifully at the same time staggers me.Blades joins in the chorus giving that double lead vocal they do so well.The mid song band work out has duel guitar soloing and guitar riffing with Eric Levy's keyboards giving it a real depth before more guitar soloing from Kelli and Gillis before they join together as the song pace dips.Phew and then it all builds back up to the chorus.Superb.

Don't Let Up has a California summer feel to it as the band do so well with guitar melodies again all over it and a big big layered chorus with more guitar melodies and another superb track that will have you pressing play again and again.

(Won't Be Your)Fool Again is a real groove laden track with slide guitar and honky tonk style piano from Levy and some high pitches falsetto backing vocals in the chorus and Blades emphasising on his vocal lines.

Say What You Want ups the pace again with twin guitar melodies from the start and another powerhouse drum rhythm and vocal from Keagy.Big big chorus joined with twin guitar melodies and Levy again impressing with his keys depth.Going to kill in the live setting with Kelli and Gillis centre stage trading guitar solo's at will.

We Can Work It Out is the cd's ballad with picked acoustic soloing and backing vocal led chorus.

Comfort Me is a rocker with lots and lots of guitar soloing.After the second chorus in fact the soloing just keeps on coming with single solo's and then duelling before the song outro starts under the chorus before more melody led soloing thet you can imagine being extended in the live setting.

Jamie has a big guitar riff and is just classic Night Ranger with it's duel vocal on the chorus before Jack lays down a harder edge part with again guitar melodies catching the ear.Gillis is all over it with his jaw dropping technique and Kelli also impresses in a more natural tone.More soloing under the chorus for the outro and again would love to see it played live.

Nothing Left Of Yesterday starts acoustically before exploding on the band chorus and then dipping for the second verse and then builds up to the chorus again.More exquisite duel guitar soloing and the band workout in the outro with Gillis again showing his class is the perfect way to end a quite brilliant cd.

Don't Let Up sees Night Ranger showing the youngsters how it should be done with a cd that in my opinion is right up their with the best in their 35 year career.

Now get yourself over for some UK dates please.