Too early to mourn Foreigner

Foreigner is a band with some history behind tracing back to the mid seventies. There was a time when this ensemble learned to satisfy the demands of both pop- and rock-music audiences and began dropping one hit after another to play on most prestigious radio stations. Loyalty of the following seemed inexhaustible, creative ideas looked endless and only bright future loomed at the horizon in those days. However, the lineup troubles, namely the departure of the charismatic frontman, Lou Gramm, turned to be a very hard blow to the band and it took many years for the musicians to get over it. In 2002, they released a rather mediocre album, which many deemed a sign of the soon end. Nevertheless, the story was continued and the continuation is Can’t Slow Down. It’s a brand new album by Foreigner released in the autumn of 2009. Needless to say that the very fact of the band’s comeback made the fans extremely happy. Yet the content of this release brought them even a greater delight. The double CD with thirteen new songs and a multitude of remixes of the group’s old and best umbers is what every Foreigner supporter will love to have. Still, we will pay attention to the first part of the album, the songs that the musicians penned specially for this record.

Can’t Slow Down: bringing back the best times!

The most striking feature of Can't Slow Down – is preserving the spirit of Foreigner’s early and most significant studio works. Half-ballad and half-fast album emanates the same energy that was the trademark of the albums that brought the band its fame. It starts with a classic rock-n-roll number called Can't Slow Down, a tribute to NASCAR races during which Foreigner, by the way, played this year. In Pieces fascinates with its lyrics, a story of a person wondering where to go after the collapse of the affair. You will feel the emotional force of the semi-ballad When It Comes To Love with a simple, yet pleasant melody. It is not difficult to imagine Give Me A Sign, and I'll Be Home Tonight on the records released by Foreigner in the distant early eighties. There is a possibility that these very songs will grow into the main hits of this album. As a matter of fact, the dominant candidates to the radio stations darlings are certainly the vivacious Too Late and the low-tempo As Long As I Live. Rockers Living In A Dream, Ready, and Angel Tonight seem to match a concert set perfectly. The last new song on Can’t Slow Down is another ballad with a subtle trace of soul, Fool For You Anyway. In terms of music, Foreigner hardly changed anything and continue playing old good rock-n-roll with catchy and memorable choruses. As soon as you know how many ballads there are on this record, you will easily guess that the musicians still prefer to sing about the eternal and main topic of all, love.

More than just a comeback

Seven years is a tremendously long period enough for some performers to deliver more than one or two solid albums. Considering the age of Foreigner members and the changes swaying their lineup, we can not expect from them the same productivity. Yet the musicians understood that simply releasing another studio work would not make up for the seven years of silence. As a result, we have a luxurious edition including two CDs. Besides, A DVD with the same title is also available in addition. In a word, Foreigner did their best to make their comeback as nice as their supporters could only imagine. But even if you start to evaluate Can’t Slow Down as a separate studio album consisting of thirteen new songs, you will still admit that this is a great job the musicians did. So, we should be thankful to these veterans of the rock movement for their return, for the new material and for the massive content of the album they have just released.

Alex Bartholomew
12.10.2009