Mike Tramp – Second Time Around

7/10

Mike Tramp. Poster boy of the late 80´s gone solo. He is carrying a heavy rucksack of being the frontman of a big ”Hair metal” band and now he is releasing albums not so many people pays attention to.

Unfair I must say. He still got his hard rock voice with which he shows straight away with the opener “All My Life”. Forget White Lion! This could have been a Freak of Nature record.
As I have listened back to his previous solo albums he is doing a lot of soul searching as I´ve figured out on the lyrics. And maybe he tries to make amends with his past-if it is personal or professional I don´t know, probably both. This kind of a hard rock singer/ songwriter is something that gets me going, a plus is the lyrics that you can rely on through your own life sometimes.
Once again a word comes to mind: Unfair. White Lion is dead and buried but the voice of the Lion is still here and still doing a great job.

“The Road” was released as a video prior to the album release. It´s a very catchy tune with lyrics that get stuck in once you heard it. “Anymore” is probably about a break up. A classic singer/songwriter song.
The further I go into the album the more I “Fear” that he will bring out a ballad in the style of the most known song of the band he once fronted and it will of course come but not just yet.
“Between good and bad” is a song that for others will be remembered for the lending of “Who are you” by The Who. For me it is a stand out track. He sounds really angry on this one. Even so, this song made me glad. It’s more than you can say about a song like “Lay down your guns” which is a song that would fit better at the end of the album since it really is just “La lala lala” lyrics. Think “Memory remains” by Metallica and you´re home.

I must confess that I was standing in that long line of people who didn´t even let Mike Tramp solo get a chance. This is my and many other peoples chance to make “cure and improvement”. Forget completely his former band, focus on his Freak of Nature era instead. There you go. So this could easily have been that bands Third record.
“Back to you” is second to last and one hell of a song. Hard hitting tune turning into a song that wouldn’t be ashamed if it were placed on “Mane Attraction”.
But then, here it is. Of course – the long awaited ballad. The final song. That I expected to be at least two more on the album. This song was written to/ about his daughter who was born the day before he wrote it. A beautiful song in all and a great finale to a surprisingly fresh and powerful album.

https://open.spotify.com/album/3StXfRKQxtqzfKHRCf79KJ?si=q2I0RB4LTsiNdhI0C51Qtw

Artist: Mike Tramp
Title: Second Time Around
Label: Target records
Date of release: 20-05-01
Rate: 7/10
Stand out track: Between Good And Bad