7 Wishes

7 Wishes carries the momentum of the huge Midnight Madness and raises NIGHT RANGER’s melodic-hard-rock craft even further on their third album. The twin-guitar edge is intact, but the glamour of the keyboards and the weight of the thick harmonies grow, giving the record a more polished refinement and sense of scale. Sharpening the twin-guitar-and-melody formula of the first two albums within a larger production, it strongly conveys the band’s maturity as an arena-rock act. Sustaining the band’s commercial success, it stands as an emblem of their golden period. The lyrical ballad “Sentimental Street” became the album’s signature hit, showing the band’s expressive strength with the song at the center. The urgency of “Four in the Morning (I Can’t Take Any More)” and the warm melody of “Goodbye” add rich shape to a sequence that moves between drivers and ballads. Brad Gillis and Jeff Watson’s guitars make their presence felt at key moments while functioning to support the hooks rather than dominate. Skillfully placing hard numbers alongside beautiful ballads, it captures the fullness of mid-1980s NIGHT RANGER.