Night Ranger were responsible for some of the best music of the 1980s, their melodious, harddriving approach counterbalanced by one of the era’s best and most popular ballads, Sister Christian – though in some ways they became a victim of that song’s MTV-championed success, which caused them to buckle at the decade’s end.
A reunion was inevitable, and Night Ranger recaptured the full scale of their magic on Somewhere In California and High Road (2011 and ’14 respectively), despite the exit of co-founding guitarist Jeff Watson. Album number 12 sees them swaggering back, guitars set to stun, and rallied by the golden tonsils of Jack Blades, the bassist whose own multi-platinum-selling career continued as a part of those Damn Yankees.
From the upbeat opener Somehow Someway to the enchanting We Can Work It Out and a mesmeric title track that echoes Enuff Z’Nuff and John Waite, Don’t Let Up offers few surprises, though that was never the intention. Consistency remains Night Ranger’s watchword, something that repeated spins enhances.
