‘Make It Count’ is here almost a year after Ronnie Atkin’s last solo album ‘One Shot’. Recorded with the same band of musicians and same producer Chris Laney. It’s bittersweet of course to hear such wonderful music from Ronnie after his stage 4 lung cancer recurrence last year. If you loved his last outing then ‘Make It Count’ is more of the same high quality melodic rock from the voice of Pretty Maids.
It’s a great mix of songs and as Ronnie says: “Style wise, it’s basically just melodic pop/rock songs, so to speak, that we turn into something suitable for those who followed me all those years. To me, a good song is a good song and then it’s a matter of how you wrap it up. He continues, “Finally, the great thing about doing this is that I don’t have to argue with anyone whether it’s too pop or too lightweight, etc. I do what I do, ’cause that’s what I like and I’m my own boss for these solo albums and therefore, also the only one to take responsibility if it doesn’t live up to people’s expectations. But, this is what I wanna do at this stage of my life and I think I’m convinced that “Make It Count“ is a great melodic rock album and I hope the fans won’t be disappointed.”
If you love the Melodic Metal of Pretty Maids then the solo trip is rather lighter fare. Think Melodic Hard Rock with a smattering of AOR and even a little Pop like on opener ‘I’ve Hurt Myself (By Hurting You)’ or ‘Unsung Heroes’ a nod to the Covid emergency workers, that open proceedings here. Musically make it count finds a great balance of lighter and more soulful fair coupled with heavier moments. ‘Rising Tide’ rides with that emotion, and sees Atkins at his most compelling vocally, whilst ‘Remain To Remind Me’ is a wonderful AOR demi ballad kept nice and simple and adorned with wonderful production.
The variety comes as things start to amp up – first with the more Pretty Maids-like ‘The Tracks We Leave Behind’ a great hard rocker that softens you up before the even heavier ‘All I Ask Of You’. The second half of the album is just as strong and equally as varied with the AOR of ‘Grace’, the wonderfully stripped-back ballad ‘Let Love Lead The Way’ before the surprise attack of the heaviest offering here ‘Blood Cries Out’. Solid melodic rockers ‘Easier To Leave (Than Being Left Behind)’ and ‘Fallen’ leave the way for the splendid soulful piano-led ballad and title track ‘Make It Count’ – a wonderful way to close.
Lyrically as you might imagine it’s hard to get away from the reality: “Sometimes you already have the title and the topic when you’re writing the song and at other times you’re just out of ideas. This time, it was tough at times since my health issues are somehow in my subconsciousness 24/7. No matter what I do, I’m being confronted with it everyday one way or the other. So, some of the songs are touching on this issue of course, can’t help it. That said, I’m also trying to give it a positive twist, meaning that we just have to get the best out of life and love the one we’re with while we’re here. It’s just impossible to write about sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll or whatever living with a life threatening disease and a dagger hangin’ above your head!!! Or it is for me, at least! So, bottom line, I guess the lyrical content on this album is partly about the aforementioned topics, the climate, and in general, topics that make sense to everyone without being political.”
All in all though similarly constructed head to head with last year’s record ‘Make It Count’ just wins out for me.
TRACKLIST: 1. I’ve Hurt Myself (By Hurting You) | 2. Unsung Heroes | 3. Rising Tide | 4. Remain To Remind Me | 5. The Tracks We Leave Behind | 6. All I Ask Of You | 7. Grace | 8. Let Love Lead The Way | 9. Blood Cries Out | 10. Easier To Leave (Than Being Left Behind) | 11. Fallen | 12. Make It Count
8/10