This may seem hard for some to believe, but my purchase of Somewhere In California marks a first in my life. It is the first time I have purchased a whole Night Ranger album! Up to this point, I have remained only a casual fan of the band. I have liked several of their songs over the years, but I have only been familiar with their best-known hits that I heard on the radio. As a teenager trading mix-tapes with friends, you were always bound to run across one or more of their hits; lets face it, songs like Sister Christian, Don't Tell Me You Love Me, and (You Can Still) Rock In America were staples of Eighties rock radio! I loved all of those songs, and maybe a couple of others, but I was not the kind of fan that immediately rushed out to buy every one of their records.
To be honest, Somewhere In California didn't change that. Night Ranger has always had that quintessentially commercial FM radio-friendly rock sound. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, I am a person who can only enjoy that style in very small doses. After several songs or a whole album of this type of music, I can sometimes become bored quite easily. Don't get me wrong, the record is very good; there's nothing wrong with it really. It has a lot of strong points, and I did enjoy it. Unfortunately, it just wasn't quite enough to push me over that line between casual fan and obsessed fanatic.
To list a few of those good points, the songs are well-written with great, singable choruses. Most of the songs are up-tempo rockers that always make great summertime party anthems! There are also a couple of classic-style rock ballads with heartfelt lyrics. The melodies on all songs are interesting and fun, and all are well-played. The vocal harmonies are also awesome on all the tracks.
I guess for me, the biggest drawback was that this record felt like these guys had been suspended in time for the last twenty-five years. They have remained true to the formula that they have always used. Sometimes that can be a good thing, but for some bands, it can be a curse as much as a blessing. In Night Ranger's case, it just makes them sound repetitious. Anyone who loved their music back then will only find more to love now, but for some fans, it can seem as if the band isn't trying to stretch themselves and do anything different...like they're just sticking with what works, and giving us the same kind of tunes that we have already heard over and over. That's pretty much the feeling that I got when I was listening to this. I wanted to say: “Hey guys, this was great the first five hundred times that we heard you do it, but how about something different already!”
Anyway, in the end, it all boils down to a matter of personal taste; most will have to form their own opinions on this one. For me, this was a good listen. It was enjoyable and fun, but nothing earth-shattering or remarkable. I'd give it about three out of five stars!
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