Jimi Jamison
Never Too Late

JJ as he probably aren’t called is a survivor who thinks that it is never too late, I wonder what it is never too late for. To eat a black mamba perhaps? or jumping down a cliff onto some pointy rocks? Or as it looks a bit american it might never be too late to achieve freedom and personal integrity which is something they don’t really have in america. Anyways, the cover art is still quite nice and considering that Jimi Jamison has one of the best voices in the world of melodic rock and that he has teamed up with Erik Mårtensson for this album looks like a recipe for brilliance. But we all knows how wrong it can go with great musicians and so on so fortunately I knew nothing of Mårtensson and so on around this album before sitting down to finish up this review just about know at slightly past 22:31 on a monday. But what about this album then, is it worth looking into?

It is melodic rock which might not be much of a surprise to a tame wolf or a man in sunglasses but maybe the fact that it is quite energetic and not as overly polished as is often customary in the melodic rock or AOR genre. Other than the energetic rawer melodic hardrock feel it offers the classical song structures with melodic songs with catchy choruses with one or two ballads thrown in there for the mother wolf to put her puppies to sleep. The production is really good, modern but with a very classical late eighties touch to it, polished yet raw and energetic which is an excellent way for this album to sound as it compliments Jamisons voice in a brilliant way. Eleven tracks is what this album offers us and though it could have been more varied within its musical frame without becoming incoherent, it still works really well through these tracks.

A high quality album I would describe this album as, powerful and entertaining and Jimi sings just brilliantly raising the level of the album a lot. I would also say that this is definitely an improvement for Jimi after that lacklustre Kimball Jamison album that did not impress me much with its standard AOR sound. I think Erik Mårtensson definitely shows to be a real asset for those he works with and soon he will probably be used by Frontiers for every melodick rock/hardrock release they have, he is that good. But of course good songs that aren’t really that special will always be raised to excellence by the voice of Jamison who has to be one of the best singers of the genre which I apparently already has written once says my hat wearing alter ego who just happened to pass by just now.

So after erasing that repeat I can conclude that this album is a collection of great songs of which it is hard to pick a favourite as all are good but if I am to mention one I will have to mention the title track. And the ending track, and the first one, and second one which are all the best track on this enjoyable album which I suggest that you fans of AOR or melodic rock/hardrock writes down on you wish list for christmas. Impressive, maybe not the most groundbreaking album I have ever heard but with an album as good as this such trifles does not mean too much. So in the end I suggest that anyone who enjoys melodic rock takes a long close look at this album because it is really good.

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