The facts are that No Way Out is The Switch’s debut record.
That’s not exactly the whole story, mind you.
So let’s start at the beginning. It’s a labour of love for twins Tom and James Martin. They were in Vega and Nitrate, so there’s a bit of melodic rock pedigree there.
They’ve teamed up with Canadian vocalist Bobby John to bring this to life (along with bass man Dennis “Butabi” Borg).
So, you put the first track on, “Danger On The Loose,” and it couldn’t sound more 1980s if Don Johnson were standing in front of you in a white suit.
The keys are straight off “Easy Lover,” for goodness’ sake. But here’s the thing: it’s deliberate.
You see, this is meant to be the soundtrack to an ’80s film that doesn’t exist – but 100% would have been in the video shop. It’s even got a plot. But when it comes to concepts, I usually adopt my standard stance: “Yeah, sounds great lads, but are the songs any good?”
When it comes to No Way Out, the answer is: they’re not just good.
They’re magnificent. Ludicrous, yes. But utterly magnificent.
“Play The Game” could have been on Bon Jovi’s second album, “Young Hearts” soars, and the synths parp away like something straight out of The Breakfast Club soundtrack.
But somewhere along the way, you start buying into this completely. By the time “Search For Love” marches into view like it’s Top Of The Pops in 1985, you’re—if you’re anything like me—already on eBay looking for yellow ghetto blasters like the one you used to have, and wondering what the girls you knew at senior school are doing now.
Never mind the power ballads, though. This is all about songs like “Hangin’ Onto Seventeen.” Let’s gloss over the fact that Jovi released Keep The Faith just before my 17th birthday and I’d long left this type of AOR behind, and just glory in it.
The title track asks no forgiveness, fists in the sky, roaring for all it’s worth—and everywhere you look, the damn thing crackles. “Young Gun” even unapologetically throws in “your love is like a loaded gun”—probably for the first time in recorded music in about 15 years, maybe longer—but the sheer joy in its solo is undeniable.
“One Night With You” is the slow dance at the end of the school disco, when I’d try and find Dawn, and I swear nothing has sounded like this in decades.
These songs are lengthy—these songs always were—and FM will wish they’d thought of “Anytime” first. But if we’ve had some fun with it—and it kind of lends itself to being light-hearted—there’s an inescapable fact: the songs here are incredibly well done. Closer “Strangers Eyes” is merely one of 10 tracks that do not, for a single second, sound like they came out in 2025. Right down to what sounds like a keytar solo.
People don’t make records like this anymore, and they might not again after this. But if you let yourself fall for it, No Way Out is an utter gem.
Rating: 9/10
