Bryan Adams – Roll With the Punches: Familiar Comforts, Fading Sparks

Done by Kirsty and Alastair.

By the time an artist reaches their sixteenth studio album, expectations are a curious thing. On one hand, fans anticipate the familiar: the sound, style and sentiment that first drew them in. On the other, there is the lingering hope that longevity in music is fuelled by reinvention, a spark of something unexpected. With Roll With the Punches, Bryan Adams finds himself caught between these poles, delivering a record that is recognisably his while teetering on the edge of repetition.

The album kicks off with a heavy, almost brooding rock riff that briefly suggests a harder, rawer side. Yet just as the wind seems ready to sweep away the weight, the track adjusts, settling back into the more mainstream sound that has long defined Adams’ career. The title track, Roll With the Punches, is upbeat enough, a serviceable opener designed to reassure rather than surprise. It encapsulates the album’s spirit: a reminder that Adams remains steadfast in his formula, even if the formula itself is beginning to show signs of wear.

From there, momentum builds with Make Up Your Mind, one of the album’s more infectious numbers. Its punchy rhythm and breezy chorus recall his 1998 collaboration When You’re Gone with Mel C, though lacking quite the same sparkle. Nostalgia works in Adams’ favour here, tugging on familiar strings for fans of his late-nineties resurgence. Never Ever Let You Go ups the pace further, perhaps the record’s most unashamedly upbeat song. It’s catchy enough to linger, though lyrically light, and contributes to the growing sense that Adams is leaning on past glories rather than pushing forward.

A Little More Understanding slows the tempo, bringing with it harmonies that could have been lifted from a mid-seventies Eagles record. There’s a sweetness to the blend, but the track outstays its welcome. Just as it seems to fade, it sparks back to life again, unnecessarily extending a song already verging on indulgent. It’s here that the album reveals one of its flaws: a tendency to repeat ideas without adding depth.

Things take a more pointed turn with Life Is Beautiful, which trades romance for political commentary. Adams uses carefully chosen language to highlight the ironies of modern society, and while the sentiment is admirable, the execution feels heavy-handed. Rock stars often reach a stage in their careers where they feel compelled to impart wisdom, to speak as sages rather than entertainers, and Adams seems to be straying into that territory. Love Is Stronger Than Hate follows suit, continuing the theme with a message that is both earnest and slightly trite.

Not every track benefits from this self-appointed role as commentator. How’s That Working for Ya? poses the rhetorical question with more than a hint of sarcasm, but the blunt delivery makes it fall flat. The song attempts cleverness but ends up sounding weary, as if Adams himself knows the answer isn’t particularly inspiring.

Every Bryan Adams album needs its ballad, and here it comes in the form of Two Arms to Hold You. Unfortunately, it’s one of the weaker inclusions: a plodding, sentimental track that drifts dangerously close to Paul McCartney’s Mull of Kintyre in tone. The melodies are pleasant enough, but the overall effect is dreary rather than moving. Where Adams once excelled at heart-on-sleeve love songs, this feels more like an obligation than inspiration.

Be the Reason is packaged as the album’s anthem, though it lacks the scale to truly earn the title. It has the broad strokes of a stadium sing-along, yet the chorus never quite soars. Closing with Will We Ever Be Friends Again?, Adams ends on a note of melancholy reflection, though by this point the listener may feel the journey has already overstayed its welcome.

The overarching impression of Roll With the Punches is one of sameness. While each track is polished, professional and unmistakably Bryan Adams, the record rarely ventures outside his comfort zone. The songs blur together, producing an effect that is more vanilla than vital. For die-hard fans, this will be reassuring: you know what you are getting, and Adams certainly delivers on that front. For others, however, the album risks being a little too predictable, a little too safe, and occasionally cliché-ridden.

There is, of course, a charm to Adams’ persistence. His gravelly voice remains instantly recognisable, his knack for anthemic choruses intact. Yet one cannot help but wonder if creative energy is starting to run low. Sixteen albums is no small feat, and perhaps inevitably, Roll With the Punches feels like the work of an artist running short on fresh ideas. At times, the record could double as background music, something to drift off to late at night rather than an urgent listen demanding attention.

Ultimately, this is an album that divides itself neatly between the faithful and the sceptical. If you are already invested in Bryan Adams, Roll With the Punches will offer exactly what you expect: solid rock tunes, heartfelt ballads, and the occasional attempt at profundity. If you are hoping for reinvention, however, you may find yourself left wanting. It is inoffensive, yes, but also repetitive, occasionally indulgent, and more than a touch cheesy—a definite flair for the fromage, if you will.