Mike Tramp - 'Maybe Tomorrow'

Some of the most relevant and damn fine music in his thirty-plus year history.

When Mike Tramp released his Folk-orientated 'Cobblestone Street' acoustic-based album in 2013 it marked the start of a trilogy to show, in his own words, who he is and where he stands. 'Museum' re-introduced more instrumentation to the Folk sound, but 'Nomad' brought things full circle and returned to the rootsy Rock 'n' Roll style that Tramp first embarked on with his initial solo album 'Capricorn' in 1998. Whether that intended trilogy has now been expanded to become a quadrilogy is unclear, but 'Maybe Tomorrow' picks up exactly where 'Nomad' left off.

Once again created alongside his long-time partner, guitarist and producer Soren Andersen, '...Tomorrow' is once again a full band album featuring bassist Jesper Haugaard, drummer Morten Hellborn and keyboardist Morten Buchholz.

The Rock 'n' Roll equivalent of a sponge, Tramp has absorbed everything that life has thrown at him and reinterpreted it into song with highly personal lyrics that encompass everything from his family to the trials and tribulations of the music business. While lyrically this is often sombre and reflective, the music is anything but, with some of the most melodic and uplifting tunes Tramp has delivered to date.



Aside from the sparse piano ballad 'Time And Place' and the soaring ballad 'Maybe Tomorrow' that demonstrates the pinnacle of Tramp's lyrical genius, '...Tomorrow' is a lively and upbeat affair. Opener and first single 'Coming Home' is a peach of a tune with echoes of the classic 'More To Life Than This', while 'It's Not How We Do It', 'Spring', the Rocking 'Why Even Worry At All', mid-tempo 'Would I Lie To You' and the tougher-edged 'Leaving One Day' are all blessed with huge hooks and highly melodic choruses. The awesome 'Rust And Dust' might, just might, be Tramp's finest song since the White Lion days.

As his tenth solo album, 'Maybe Tomorrow' is another great record in a consistently strong period, though probably unlikely to win Tramp too many new fans at this late stage in his career, with many people still yearning for the WL sound of the eighties. Get over it, it ain't gonna happen, embrace what Mike Tramp is all about now because he is currently in a satisfyingly consistent period making some of the most relevant and damn fine music in his thirty-plus year history.

Ant Heeks