I’m not sure how many out there know who Rob Moratti is. Short introduction. He’s a singer with a high-pitched voice and a very broad range, he’s from Canada, he once replaced Michael Sadler in Saga for one album until Sadler returned, he has made six solo albums where the two first were independent releases (his self-titled debut and Modern Influence are even hard to find any info of) and one a Journey tribute, he has fronted both his own band Moratti and a band called Final Frontier and the music he plays is straight-up AOR. His last album Renaissance came out in 2019 and now he’s back with a new one featuring a band made of guitarist/keyboardist Torben Enevoldsen, drummer Stu Reid and bassist Tony Franklin (The Firm, Blue Murder, Whitesnake) with guest spots from both Saga-guitarist Ian Crichton and guitarist Joel Hoeckstra (Whitesnake, Night Ranger, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Cher).
Uptempo opener “I’m Falling” is surprisingly guitar-driven which gives the tune some edge despite the huge keyboard arrangements. By that I mean guitar-driven AOR, I must stress so you don’t get any ideas. It’s slick and smooth and the pop-vibes are all over the track. It’s perfect as an opener and the big, hooky chorus is clearly single-material as the catchiness is spot-on. Good one. “Rise Above” is upbeat, rhythmic and in-your-face with both chugging guitars, a crunchy beat and some silky and clean keyboards. The fired-up and immediate chorus has some slights nods towards Def Leppard and is pop-catchy as can be. Back in the 80’s, this tune could have been huge. Very good.
With softer and more sparse verses, “What Have We Become” takes the laid-back route which makes for a dynamic contrast when the chorus goes upbeat and treats us with a direct and infectious chorus that has every potential to be a hit in AOR-territories. It’s a rock-ballad that again could have been a big hit back in the glory days of the late 80’s. More on the plain Pop side but also more upbeat, “Remember” brings on some slick verses with the keyboards picked directly from 1987 lies on top and creates a more glossy atmosphere. The chorus brings out the guitars more and Moratti channels some power-pop vibes along with 80’s AOR-rock melodies that goes in your face. The chorus might not be as striking as the previous ones but it’s still good enough.
The uptempo of the previous track gets somewhat tempered with another mid-paced ballad called “Where Do We Go from Here”. It’s a full-blown AOR-piece, slick, pink n’ fluffy with a memorable main-melody, hooky vocal-lines and a huge chorus that sticks right from go. In 1990, this tune would have been played to death on MTV. I’m a sucker for a juicy power-ballad so I give this my thumbs up. Going for a more Scandinavian AOR vibe, “Drifting Away” is a straight-forward, uptempo pop-rocker where guitars and keyboards gets together equally high in the mix, feeding off each other. The tune do goes for a hit-vibe but even though it’s not bad, it comes across as somewhat forgettable.
“Hello, I’m visiting from 1989 and just had lunch with Desmond Child and Diane Warren”, says “Break The Chains” when it shows up at my door with held-back, soft and down-beat verses and a down-to-earth outlook. It continues more upbeat with a chugging yet clean guitar, a smooth appearance all over with this retro yet not dated 80’s arrangements. The chorus lifts but it doesn’t go for a slick hit-sound and is more sparse but still holds some catchiness to it. Yeah, I quite dig this one. “Alone Anymore” is an uptempo pop-song with a nice chunk of AOR inserted – glossy, slightly saccharine, lots of hitty hooks and a striking main-melody. The pumping rhythm marries fine with slick and smooth appearance and the 80’s sounding refrain reeks of hit-potential. Good one.
“Bullet Proof Alibi” is the best song on this album. It’s a Hard Rock driven AOR-stomper, punchy with a more gritty edge and strong melodies all over. It’s also nice to hear Moratti rasp as his high-pitched voice is often very clean. The tune also brings on a straight-forward, live friendly vibe which makes it perfect as a set opener. Very good indeed. Much smoother and more slick than it’s predecessor, “All I’m Living For” once again takes us back to silky sound of 1987 AOR. It’s another one that most likely would have been all over the charts back when with its massive chorus and hit-hooks all over. I like it.
We’re given more upbeat pop-rock with “Picking Up The Pieces”. However, the song stars off with verses that are more held-back but is given a chunky, solid rhythm and guitars a bit crunchier and higher in the mix. It never goes Hard Rock, though as it’s way too polished and fluffy for that. The chorus is quite catchy but it never reaches its goal and leaves me wondering why it never took off. Not bad but fades fast from my memory. Closing track “Stay Away” blends pure AOR with late 80’s/early 90’s American Stadium Rock. A bit on the mainstream side, sure, but it also comes with a chorus so extremely catchy it’s impossible to remove from the brain.
To sum it up, I guess if you dig his last records you’ll dig this one too. And just like all of Moratti’s records, I really like what I hear – as long as I’m listening but no matter how many times I hear the album, it have a tendency to fade a bit too fast. The thing is, the fact that Moratti has a very personal and recognizable voice pretty much saves the record. As I said, there are a whole lot of really good songs on here but musically it’s too impersonal, predictable and mainstream and without Moratti’s voice on top, these songs could have been any thirteen a dozen AOR acts out there. After a few albums you feel like you know what’s gonna come beforehand which in turn makes the whole experience not a stand-out one. I can’t slag this off, it’s too good for that but it really doesn’t bring out a taste for more either. Final verdict: good enough.
5/10
More Rob Moratti reviews:
Tracklist:
1. I’m Falling
2. Rise Above
3. What Have We Become
4. Remember
5. Where Do We Go From Here
6. Drifting Away
7. Break The Chains
8. Alone Anymore
9. Bullet Proof Alibi
10. All I’m Living For
11. Picking Up The Pieces
12. Stay Away
CD & Festival reviews 