Does the name Robin Red ring a bell? No? Well, Robin Ericsson, then? Degreed? If not – and you’re a fan of Melodic Rock/AOR with Hard Rock vibes – you have some real fun ahead of you. Robin Red is the lead singer of Swedish Melodic Rock band Degreed, where he uses his real name Ericsson, a band that now has five albums under their belt, the last one Lost Generation came out in 2019 and they’re about to release their sixth album Are You Ready in February 2022. But in waiting for that album’s release and with a pandemic making it impossible to tour, Robin decided that a solo album was in order – a solo album that would take him closer to classic AOR than Degreed’s somewhat heavier take on the genre.
Said and done, Red hooked up with one Dave Dalone, guitarist in H.E.A.T., who helped co-write the album and co-produce the record with his fellow band-mate in H.E.A.T, Jona Tee, throwing in some organ as well. Since Degreed had just signed up with Frontiers it was only natural that Red would release his debut solo album on said label too. To give a direction for the album, Red name-drops Jimmy Barnes, Rick Springfield, Foreigner, Bryan Adams and John Waite as influences and since I’m a fan of all the above – and Degreed of course, I found this really intriguing, to say the least.
“Don’t Leave Me (With A Broken Heart)”, the album’s first single, opens the album brilliantly. It’s a steady and infectious rocker with Hard Rock as its base but the majestic melodies and the striking hooks is in Melodic Rock territory not a far cry from a band like H.E.A.T. We get big guitars, big keyboards, a fat and beefy rhythm and on top a monster refrain that a writer like Desmond Child would kill for. Very good. Blending Classic Rock with AOR, “Bad Habit” is guitar-driven and riff-happy with a crunchy sound which shares bed with smooth vocal-melodies and a Thin Lizzy flirtatious solo. The chorus is enormous and sticks like a tattoo to the brain. Great.
While guitar-driven and crunchy, “Everlyn” also brings on big pop-vibes with a nod back to the mid 80’s but also to a more modern H.E.A.T-like touch melodically. With smooth harmonies, big backing vocals and shitloads of hooks, the chorus goes for the win, impossible to get out the skull once inserted. Great stuff. “Freedom” throws in some chunky guitars on a steady rhythm with both smoother keyboards and an organ. The tune is both early Toto, early 80’s Foreigner and a small chunk of Europe for good measure. It’s on the mellower side but not exactly a ballad. The massive chorus is both AOR-laden and full of hitty catchiness. This is good shit, folks.
With “Midnight Rain”, Robin Red takes one step into pure Pop territory while looking back at early AOR at the same time. It’s a slick number while also upbeat and straight forward. With this song, Red has managed to pull out slickness without it going syrupy or overly glossy. It’s very memorable and holds another one of those bulls-eye choruses. I dig this hard. “Can’t Get Enough” is a rocker for sure but with mid 80’s AOR melody-arrangements all over. It’s riff-happy, the guitars are crunchy and the beat brings on a steady groove, making the song a crowd-friendly stomper. Red’s way of singing here makes me think of Lou Gramm which in turn makes me think of those earlier Foreigner records. This is really, really good.
The first trace of balladry on the album is called “Reason To Survive” and what we’re given here is an acoustic guitar based slow-burner, stripped down and earthy with a memorable vocal-melody both in verse and chorus. The song is only guitar and vocals with some finger-snapping in the background to keep the rhythm. It’s a nice breather and a very good tune. “Heart Of Stone” is the most Degreed-sounding number on the album but with a slight H.E.A.T-vibe to go with it. It’s an upbeat and rocking number yet still vey AOR-ish with poppy melodies and a smooth outlook. It holds a catchy enough refrain that sticks even though it might hold a big deal of hit-potential. It’s more of an album song that will go down well from the stage. I like.
The single “Nitelife” holds a fat rhythm, some raunchy riffing and an overall early to mid 80’s outlook sound-wise. The keyboards meets up with the guitars on an even level and with every melody sticking right off the bat – the verses here are catchier than many choruses out there – this tune screams hit for miles. Red should’ve made a real video out this and not just an “official audio”. Why rock-radio didn’t pick it up is a mystery. Awesome. “Head Over Heels” might come in a mid-tempo but it’s still a guitar-driven rocker where the foundation seems to be classic Hard Rock albeit with melodies and vocals from the Melodic Rock camp. The chorus is a real beast that takes no prisoners. Damn good.
“Livin’ End” bursts loose as the hardest and grittiest song on the album. While it do contain very memorable melodies all over, it’s also a Hard Rock number with some chugging guitars, ballsy drums and there’s rough edges everywhere. It’s a straight-forward, in your face rocker with a direct refrain and attitude that could work well as a live-opener. Good one. Closer “Living For” holds a slower tempo, it’s bluesy with meaty crunches, an organ and some Classic Rock edged guitars – a semi-ballad of sorts. The song contains an organic groove as well as some delicate vocal-melodies with a refrain that catches on without any flirts with rock-radio at all. Very good indeed.
While very little here is reminiscent of Degreed, his day-job, style-wise, both this and Degreed works inside the walls of Melodic Rock, Hard Rock and AOR but in different sides of the genres. While Red’s solo album is more into the AOR genre, it feels really good that he has looked back to a time – late 70’s/early 80’s – where AOR was guitar-driven and held more edges than it does today, where the genre is at many times more glossy, silky and keyboard-laden. The involvement of Dave Dalone and Jona Tee of course give the album some resemblance to H.E.A.T. and Red’s voice is the thing that nods back to Degreed, all the influences mentioned above with the slight addition of Def Leppard and early 80’s AOR in general is the template for the music here. I’m talking influences here, of course, as there is no copy-cat vibes involved at all. What we do get is twelve songs where the worst one is still good – a very high lowest level. To sum it up – a damn good album.
8/10
Tracklist:
1. Don’t Leave Me (With A Broken Heart)
2. Bad Habit
3. Everlyn
4. Freedom
5. Midnight Rain
6. Can’t Get Enough
7. Reason To Survive
8. Heart Of Stone
9. Nitelife
10. Head Over Heels
11. Livin’ Dead
12. Living For
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