Can't Slow Down (2009)
1. Can't Slow Down
2. In Pieces
3. When It Comes to Love
4. Living in a Dream
5. I Can't Give Up
6. Ready
7. Give Me a Sign
8. I'll Be Home Tonight
9. Too Late
10.Lonely
11.As Long as I Live
12.Angel Tonight
13.Fool For You Anyway
The first thing I said when I played this record—before even checking the liner notes—was, “Huh... this band kind of sounds like Foreigner.” And that’s really the operative phrase here: kind of. It’s not bad, not at all. But if you’re expecting that unmistakable Foreigner firepower from the glory days, you might find yourself squinting a bit to recognize the familiar outlines.
For the record, Lou Gramm is out again—his second departure from the band. Apparently the tension between him and Mick Jones, the band’s longtime guitarist and de facto leader, was just too much to overcome. This sort of thing is old hat by now; Foreigner’s lineup has been in such constant rotation that trying to keep track of who’s in or out is a fool’s errand. Really, if it’s got Mick or Lou—or ideally both—then you’ve got Foreigner. Anything else is a tribute act with paperwork.
Taking over vocal duties is Kelly Hansen (of Hurricane fame—which is to say, not much fame at all). Now, is Hansen as good as Gramm? No. Does he sound like Gramm? Again, no. But credit where it’s due: he does a fine job. He’s got the range, the tone, and most importantly, he sings like he means it. Compared to poor Johnny Edwards from the Unusual Heat debacle, Hansen sounds like Sinatra. And at least this time around, it sounds like the band is trying to sound like Foreigner again, which was not the case in 1991 when they seemed content to morph into a second-rate hard rock act with no clear identity.
So what’s the problem here? It’s the same problem that’s plagued a lot of veteran rock acts trying to recapture the magic: the sound is right, but the energy just isn’t. That signature Foreigner crunch—the muscular, electric guitar riffs that made tracks like Hot Blooded and Urgent radio staples—is just... gone. Jones’ guitar work, once the driving force of the band, is so buried in the mix here that you wonder if someone forgot to unmute him in post-production.
That’s a shame, because there are definitely solid songs here. Tracks like In Pieces and When It Comes to Love do have that classic Foreigner polish and melodic instinct. You find yourself nodding along, even tapping your foot a little. But they don’t punch. They never quite soar. It’s like watching a great team play a solid game with their star player stuck on the bench.
One interesting inclusion here is a re-recording of The Damage Is Done, originally from their debut album. A curious choice, as it was never a hit, but it does have a nice melodic arc. And honestly, it ends up being a fitting metaphor for the album: a decent, well-crafted tune that’s missing just enough edge to keep it from being memorable.
In hindsight, what this album really needed was more bite. Maybe a producer like Mutt Lange could’ve brought that back. Maybe Gramm could’ve been coaxed into a guest spot to give it a little more gravity. As it stands, it’s a good album. Sometimes a very good album. But not a great one. And for a band that once set the standard for what arena rock could be, that’s the difference between a spark and a fire.
Foreigner wasn’t dead in the water with Can’t Slow Down, but they were clearly sailing in calmer seas.
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