Evanescence [Review]

After a painfully long five-year wait through which fans savagely suffered, Evanescence is finally back with its fourth album, the self-titled Evanescence, featuring "What You Want," the album's first single. A few months ago, Amy, in an interview, explained why the album is self-titled, and she said that now, more than ever, the music and the effort is about the band; she said that she has never felt more alive as a part of Evanescence than she does now. I also think, though, that it fits nicely with the overall theme of the album, which, to me, is the endurance and the aftermath of loss, and the word "evanescence" means a disappearance, in accordance with "Disappear," of course, a song on the deluxe edition of the album. The band's previous record, The Open Door, received some negative criticism for being "overproduced," and those that criticized that album for that reason certainly shouldn't be saying that about this album, because it doesn't have the crisp, clean, polished sound of The Open Door; it is much edgier, more raw-sounding, which, of course, makes sense considering what Amy said about why the album is self-titled. You can clearly hear a band on the album, if that makes sense. The album relies very little on production and sound effects and more on what Amy and the band is capable of accomplishing; it's a perfect album to self-title.

At this point, I still can't say that this is my favorite Evanescence album to date, and I don't know if I will ever be able to say that with any truth. It is not as good asThe Open Door, and I'll be the first to say that I don't agree with those negative reviews criticizing it for being "overproduced," because something that I absolutely love about The Open Door is that it embraces its title; with Ben having left the band, it does everything that it can to break away from Fallen, to break away from structure and be something different. It expands into new dimensions, and I would say that with the exception, perhaps, of just a couple of songs - like maybe "Sweet Sacrifice" and "Weight of the World" - any song from The Open Door would stick out like a sore thumb on Fallen. Although Evanescence is probably closer to the Fallen sound than The Open Door sound, it still embraces a sound of its own. The primary reason, however, that I would say that I will probably never consider this my favorite Evanescence album is because, in the past, there have always been at least two wildly epic songs on the album that feature choir - "Haunted," "Whisper," "Lacrymosa," and "Your Star," just to name a few - and this album features only one song that features choir ("Sick"), and even then, it is only faintly present in the chorus.

The album opens with "What You Want," again, the album's first single. Placing the song at the very beginning of the album is not a decision that I would have made, since there isn't much of an introduction to the song. There is, perhaps, one measure before Amy immediately begins to sing the chorus ("Do what you, what you, want..."), so it really doesn't do a great job of opening the album. I would have opened it with something like "Sick" or "New Way to Bleed," and "New Way to Bleed" is actually how I do open it on my edition. "What You Want" is fun and kind of poppy, and what I really love about it is that it doesn't try to pose as something more than it is, if that makes any sense. Like I said, the album, in comparison to previous albums (especially The Open Door), is a lot edgier and more raw-sounding, and this song is a prime example; it is heavy, but it doesn't necessarily try to be heavy. It sounds both poppy and metallic in a very natural way. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of "Call Me When You're Sober," but even "Call Me When You're Sober," arguably one of the band's poppiest songs, has a fuller sound than "What You Want" does. Although I wouldn't have opened the album with the song, I think that it's a perfect choice for the first single, considering that it was written about needing to cut the break short and get back to the studio, since Amy said that she needed time to rediscover herself, and that took her some time.

"Made of Stone" is the second song on the album, and it was originally written during an era that didn't make complete sense to Amy; she was writing music but wasn't sure what would be done with it, maybe nothing, maybe be placed on a (then talked about) solo album, maybe be placed on the next Evanescence album, which is obviously the decision that was eventually made, and unless she was working with the band even then, I'm thinking that it was probably expanded and/or altered, because the entire band is credited as having written it. "Made of Stone" kind of does stick out on the album, because whereas a majority of the album is about tragedy and its aftermath, "Made of Stone" returns to the older lyrical content, as it is a big "f-you" to a scornful lover. Melodically, it reminds me very much of We Are the Fallen. "The Change" is very full, and there are parts of it that sound very much like a song that Kelly Clarkson's more alternative sound would produce. Kelly actually tweeted not too long ago that it is now her aspiration to sing a duet with Amy, and Amy definitely saw it because she retweeted it, so maybe that's booked for the future, which would be absolutely awesome. "The Change" and "Say You Will" are both songs that would be perfect for them to perform together, assuming that they wouldn't perform a completely new song altogether, which would be just as awesome, if not more so. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for that duet.

"My Heart Is Broken" is the fourth track on the album, and it has been selected as the album's second single, planned to be released to mainstream radio on the first of November. I absolutely love this song, and it is one of my absolute favorites on the album (alongside songs such as "Sick" and "Swimming Home" and "Secret Door"). I recently lost a gerbil that I loved very much, and in fact, I lost her the day that this album came out, so the song has really helped me deal with that grief. The piano melody is immensely beautiful, and the song, as a whole, is immensely beautiful. Parts of "The Other Side" remind me very much of Korn, and I haven't been the only Evanescence fan to have said that. It's about, as are many of the songs, losing someone that you love and wishing that you could find him/her again, and it's very heavy and very groovy. "Erase This" features a climbing and descending piano melody that rapidly crawls its way through the chugging guitars, the fast beat, and Amy's wistfully powerful lyrics; it is arguably the fastest song on the album. "Lost in Paradise" is a beautiful song that begins on the piano but moves its way into a mess (I use the word "mess" in a positive way) of heavy guitars and strings. To me, the song speaks of the denial stage of the grieving process (like "Bleed"), feeling blissful despite the demon staring you in the face. It really reminds me of "My Immortal," and in fact, when I first heard the MTV snippet over the summer, I said that it would be the new "My Immortal," and now that I have heard all of it, I would say that I was fairly accurate.

As I said, "Sick" is definitely one of my favorite songs on the album, featuring distorted guitars that remind me very much of Repo! the Genetic Opera and chilling chanted lyrics in the chorus; it is, to put it simply, killer. "End of the Dream" is very heavy and is comparable to "Going Under" in many ways. More so than ever, it is a bit "post-grunge," and this is another one that really reminds me of We Are the Fallen. Consider "Bury Me Alive," and I'm sure that it will be easy for you to agree with me, as the songs sound strikingly similar. Amy's voice soars throughout the song, begging listeners to enjoy life while it lasts, before "the end of the dream" falls upon us. "Oceans" is another one that I adore, and "big and lush" is how Amy described it. It starts with a very quiet, electronic synth that quickly builds to an amazing wavering melody and a very demanding chorus - "Cross the oceans in my mind!" - that is sure to have your head bobbing. "Never Go Back" is the heaviest song on the album, and, in fact, when I first heard it, I called it "crazy and wild," because it was simply not what I was expecting from a song written about the Japan catastrophe earlier this year, but the "crazy" guitar chugging is very chaotic, as the earthquakes and the tsunamis were. To put it simply, with lyrics such as "It's all gone;/the only world I've ever known/sleeps beneath the waves," it is epic and emotional on a tearjerking level, and my favorite part is definitely the piano and strings break near the end.

The standard edition of the album closes with "Swimming Home," a very satisfying way to close the album. It is a hauntingly beautiful "electropop" song that serves as a sequel to "Never Go Back," dealing with the hopeful aftermath of a tragedy. In fact, I really do tend to think of "Oceans," "Never Go Back," and "Swimming Home" as a "three-part arc" on the album, since they seem to, together, tell a story and are placed back-to-back on the album, but that is not meant to suggest that the songs are not valuable on their own, as they certainly are. My hope is that "Swimming Home" will be released as a single, because I think that it would probably be "Good Enough" done right; I could hear it on the radio, especially since you can hear a bit of "soul" in it. The deluxe edition moves forward with "New Way to Bleed," which is a steady metal track that sounds strikingly like Lacuna Coil, something that I said as soon as the song began the first time that I gave it a listen, and it features a very small amount of the harp. I tend to pair "Say You Will" and "Disappear" together just because they are both kind of poppy, but like "What You Want," I think that they are naturally metallic in their own rights. As I said, "Say You Will" reminds me very much of Kelly Clarkson, especially the chorus, which Amy screams out in a passionately powerful manner much like Kelly would; it's very catchy, but it's actually one of my least favorite songs on the album, since it's a bit too playful for me to absolutely adore like I do other songs.

Evanescence fans should know Amy's cover of "Sally's Song" from The Nightmare Before Christmas, and "Secret Door" reminds me very much of it, even though I have had a friend and fellow fan disagree with me. "Sally's Song" features a bit of harp, and "Secret Door" relies heavily on harp (a lot more so than "New Way to Bleed") and I am absolutely loving it, as I think that the harp produces an incredibly beautiful sound. Amy just recently learned to play the harp, and her husband bought her one as a gift, which is just awesome. The song sounds like a dark lullaby, and in fact, Amy has said that the song is about that feeling that you have when you wake up from a really pleasant dream, wishing that you could revisit it. About a year-and-a-half ago (March 2010), Amy was tweeting a lot about the new album and said that she was looking for an album title that was linked to the themes present on the album, and a particular tweet reads: "Some inspirations: unknown worlds, the ocean's abyss, life within dreams, strength, detachment, love and liars...," so it's very likely that "Secret Door" is old; however, the "ocean" theme definitely stuck, as many songs mention water, waves, and the ocean, "Erase This" ("The water's rising around us..."), "Sick" ("Oceans between us..."), "Oceans" (obvious even without a line) "Never Go Back" (as aforementioned), "Swimming Home" (also obvious), and "Secret Door" ("My heart's high as the waves above me") all serving as examples.

I think that Evanescence is a fantastic album, featuring beautiful, intricate melodies that stick with you and haunt you, as per usual in regards to the band. "My Heart Is Broken," "Sick," "Never Go Back," "Swimming Home," and "Secret Door" all serve as highlights, but the album, as a whole, is really fantastic. I don't feel that it is as expansively creative and artistic as The Open Door is, but it is so much in its own way, very easy to love as each song begs and/or roars for its listeners' affection, and it has mine. I love the album art, as well; I recall Amy saying (before it was revealed) that in comparison to The Open Door, the album art of which is very Victorian and dream-like, this album art would be more mordern, but I would argue that it is has a futuristic feel, since it looks a lot like space to me, reminding me of sci-fi such as Star Trek and Stargate Universe. If you have the physical copy (which I do and always will when Evanescence is concerned), you are probably more inclined to agree since you have seen the back cover (as pictured below), which is very "spacey," if you will. Evanescence is, by far, my favorite band (and artist, for that matter) and has been for eight years, which is actually approaching nine. As I mentioned when I wrote my sample review, Evanescence saved my life in so many ways, giving me an outlet to feel like I never had before, and that hasn't changed, and I don't care how melodramatic that may sound because it's the pure truth. I couldn't possibly be any happier that they are back, and Evanescence, already #1 on iTunes (which, in fact, it was within a couple of hours after its release), definitely makes the comeback a poweful one.

Jack's Mannequin - People and Things [Review]

Jack's Mannquin comes back from 2008's The Glass Passenger with People and Things, an album that, in my opinion, is a lot more raw than 2005's Everything in Transit and The Glass Passenger. Gone is the electronic rock feel of "Bloodshot," gone is the beachy feel of songs such as "Holiday from Real" and "Dark Blue," and gone is the classical piano sound of "Caves," definitely Jack's best song in regards to artistic creativity. While I certainly don't dismiss People as being a terrible album, not by any means, I would utlimately have to say that the band fails to capture the essence of why I fell in love with them in the first place, and that is not only because the music itself isn't quite as good but also because I don't feel that the theme is as consistent or, for that matter, as strong, so I don't feel as strong of a connection to it as I have previous albums, which is definitely a shame.

Frontman Andrew McMahon has been involved in the music industry for a considerably long time. As the previous frontman of punk band Something Corporate, his first Something Corporate album released, titled Ready... Break, was released in 2000, eleven years ago, and the first Something Corporate album released commericially, titled Leaving Through the Window, was released in 2002, nearly ten years ago, so while Jack's has only been active for six years, Andrew has been making music for even longer, and he has gone through a series of eras, as each album sounds radically different from the last, and People and Thingsis no exception. Even when some songs are cut and recycled, each album still manages to have a sound of its own, and this is precisely the case in regards to People and Things, as it is seeming to make every effort to create a new sound, and I do have to give it credit for that; it certainly isn't the same old story.

The album has multiiple editions, something that I wish weren't the case. There is the standard 11-track edition, of course, and then, there is the iTunes digital deluxe edition, which has four bonus tracks, then, there is the Best Buy edition, which has three exclusive, different bonus tracks, and then, there is an acoustic version of "My Racing Thoughts" which is exclusive to the Go! Merch editon of the album, so basically, there are a total of eight bonus tracks which are scattered amongst different editions, but there is one saving grace, which is that the exclusive iTunes bonus tracks are not Album Only, which means that you do not need to purchase the entire album in order to obtain the bonus tracks; you can buy just the bonus tracks. I am thankful for that, because if I am buying music from an artist that I love very deeply, such as Evanescence or Lady Gaga, for example, I will not buy the album digitally; I will buy the physical CD, and in this case, the Best Buy bonus tracks are only available to buy on CD.

I still wish, however, that since there are eight bonus tracks, they would have been released all together as one separate release, but for the purposes of this review, I mean to review the album as a whole, including the standard tracks and all of the bonus tracks. The album opens with "My Racing Thoughts," which is the first single from the album. When I first heard the song, I was a bit disappointed because I had felt that I had definitely heard better from Jack's Mannequin, and while that precise opinion hasn't changed, the song has grown on me, and I appreciate it a lot more than I did when I first heard it. It is a moderately catchy, poppy song that seems to be about some of the complexities of being in a relationship. The album then moves into "Release Me," which definitely has a lot more energy than the first song, featuring a fluttering piano hook that is certainly difficult to ignore. "Television" is a weaker one, seeming to demonstrate Bruce Springsteen influence but really not doing much for me.

 

"Amy, I" is one of the best songs of the album, but it is an example of what I mean when I say that the album doesn't have as strong of a theme as previous albums. Andrew has said that the song isn't really about anyone in particular; it just came to him, but it's very catchy and, I daresay, has a country feel to it. We then hear a song that I have actually known for quite a while, as it was intended for The Glass Passenger but was cut and is actually the song from which The Glass Passenger draws its title, as the first line of the song is: "Keep your eyes on the road, the glass passenger." The song to which I'm referring is "Hey Hey Hey (We're All Gonna Die)" and is definitely the closest the album comes to The Glass Passenger. The title suggests that the song would be really depressing, but it is far from it; the song is about letting go of fear of death and embracing life, because since everyone is eventually going to die, we're in this together. It certainly stands out on the album. "People, Running" seems to be the inspiration for the title of the album and features a very outgoing, demanding beat, but it has some developing to do for me before I give it the credit that it may deserve.

 

"Amelia Jean" is what I consider to be the epitome of piano rock, as it is definitely a light, fun rock song about being in love but is completely driven, in my opinion, by piano. Many of the songs, granted, are, but this one is especially. The chorus of the song, as it wistfully calls Amelia's name, is definitely the best part of the song, and it drew me in instantly. I first heard "Platform Fire" quite a long time ago, since Andrew performed it a long time ago and said that he wasn't sure whether or not it was going to make it on the album, but I'm glad that it did, since it is a fantastic song that suggests to be of a similar lyrical nature to "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence - someone helping you find peace in the chaos. It is energetic and beautiful both at the same time, which is why it works. "Hostage" is a good one that is of a very imperative nature, as he nearly shouts - "I won't hold you hostage!" - the hook of the chorus. The song is about letting a loved one have "alone time" when he or she needs it while reminding him or her that you are there when he or she is ready to come back. There is not a doubt in my mind that "Restless Dream" is influenced by Simon & Garfunkel, since I do know that Andrew is a fan; he has even covered "Homeward Bound," and this has an incredibly similar sound.

"Casting Lines" closes the standard edition of the album, and that is one of the weaker ones. To me, it speaks of remembering your origins while searching for new adventures at the same time, embracing relationships along the way.

 

At this point, I do not like "No Man Is an Island" at all, as it may be the weakest Jack's song to date. It is very simple, and it is a song to which I cannot relate to at all because of the lyrics. Andrew sings that "no man is an island when a woman's his to hold," and while I do understand that Andrew is, himself, heteroseuxal, he doesn't seem to be speaking about himself exclusively; no, he seems to be reaching out and speaking of humanity as a whole, and not all men are going to have women to hold, as, for some, myself included, when they fall in love, it's going to be with another man. I just feel like part of making progress toward equal rights is not assuming that everyone is straight, thereby shattering the dominant culture. I wish that Andrew had used the word "lover" instead of "woman," as it would have been more inclusive, as I'm sure that I'm not the only gay Jack's Mannequin fan.

 

"Ten Days Gone" has a very steady, soulful beat, but it is one that I have yet to grow an attachment to. "Dancing with a Gun" is one of the first songs on the album that I listened to, and it is definitely one of my favorite songs on the album, as Andrew's emotions shine through the uplifting melody like no other song on the album. "Broken Bird" is another weaker one that I don't yet love, but it has a heartfelt message about helping someone through dark times; the iTunes deluxe edition closes with "Broken Bird," and the first Best Buy exclusive is "Out of It," another song intended for The Glass Passenger. This song definitely has the subdued, sleepful feel of The Glass Passenger, and I do really love it for that reason. My favorite "new" song, however, is definitely "Locked Doors," a song that my boyfriend, oddly enough, compared to INXS. This song was actually initially intended not for Passenger but for Transit, and that is something that is evident, as it sounds more like Something Corporate than it does Jack's Mannequin, and finally, the Best Buy edition closes with "Keep Rising," yet another song from the Passenger sessions, and it starts off sounding like Sixpence None the Richer but moves into the regular People sound; lyrically, it is similar to "Swim," urging listeners to stay strong, to keep rising from the darkness.

 

Overall, People and Things is not a bad album, but it's not as good as the last two albums, and I really don't think that that opinion is going to change. "Hey Hey Hey (We're All Gonna Die)," "Platform Fire," "Restless Dream," "Dancing with a Gun," and "Locked Doors" are the brightest highlights of the album, and I do love how some motifs continue to make their presence known, such as stars and planets and sleeplessness. The overall theme of this album happens to coincide with what the producers of Fringe have said is the overall theme of the current season, which is the examination of the effects that we have on one another as people, wondering how our lives would be different without the people that we know and love. I just feel like earlier themes have been more prevalent, such as the theme of starting a new chapter of your life that's present onTransit and the theme of sickness and recovery that's, perhaps, even more heavily present on Passenger.People seems to be more generalized and not quite as personal, but hey, maybe that makes it more valuable.

Avril Lavigne - Goodbye Lullaby [Review]

For me, Goodbye Lullaby, Lavigne's fourth album, has been one of the most highly anticipated albums of my lifetime, as I have ultimately been anticipating it for seven years. While The Best Damn Thing was released in Spring 2007 (which was still quite a long time ago), I was not too thrilled with that album (save a handful of songs), and Under My Skin was released in Spring 2004. Many months ago (it was, in fact, close to a year ago), I read that this album would be a closer return to Lavigne's earlier work as opposed to The Best Damn Thing, and I can agree with that.

While Goodbye Lullaby is not at all “heavy,” as some of the tracks found on 2002's Let Goand 2004's Under My Skin are (such as “Losing Grip,” “Unwanted,” “Take Me Away,” “Forgotten,” etc.), it is far from being the “cheerleader pop” (for lack of a better term) thatThe Best Damn Thing is, and Lavigne, with a majority of crisp melodies layered on top of simple acoustic accompaniment that is Goodbye Lullaby, affords her fans (such as this one of almost ten years) a very pleasant, refreshing experience. I do know quite a few people who loved The Best Damn Thing, so I apologize to them if I offend, but that certainly does not change my opinion.

In regards to The Best Damn Thing, Lavigne seemed to have retrograded, moving from a sophisticated, alternative style to adolescent high school craze with an array of songs that one might expect to hear at athletic games (such as “Girlfriend,” “The Best Damn Thing,” “I Don't Have to Try,” etc.), and for that reason, I was very disappointed with the album as a whole with few exceptions (such as “Runaway,” “When You're Gone,” “Innocence,” etc.).Goodbye Lullaby attempts to break away from that, painting a much more serene picture.

I purchased a physical copy of the album, so I have the benefit of seeing all of the graphics included in the package, and it is really beautiful; I consequently find myself quite impressed with that, as well. However, I also find myself in opposition to only one (rather trivial) feature; Lavigne, on the album cover (which, mind you, I do find very beautiful), looks rather morose, while the album's content is primarily very relaxed and gleeful, dealing with lyrical themes such as being in love and enjoying the beauties that life has to offer. I reiterate, however, that the artwork (meaning all photographs, designs and additional art) is very beautiful.

The album opens with the very short (only 1:34) “Black Star,” and most fans should remember this from her Black Star fragrance commercial, in which a small portion of the song is featured. While I am slightly disappointed with the fact that the song is so short when I had been expecting it to be full-length, “Black Star” is one of my favorite songs from the album, as it is an incredibly beautiful, simple song accompanied by a simple but catchy melody composed of very high notes on the piano. The song sounds very much like a lullaby and would serve as a good introduction if "What the Hell" didn't follow it, since it is a very rough transition.

“What the Hell” is the album's first single and is the closest that the album comes to The Best Damn Thing, and, because of that, it, with the risk of using a cliché, sticks out like a sore thumb. When I first heard the song, I didn't like it a whole lot, but when I began to find it consistently stuck in my head, it really began to grow on me, and I do really love it now, even though, again, it really doesn't belong on this album. Next, we hear “Push,” a song that sounds a lot like Alanis Morissette's style. I really like the song, especially with the male vocals, which I am assuming are Evan Taubenfeld's, since he co-wrote the song with Lavigne.

The fourth track is titled “Wish You Were Here,” another one of my favorites on the album. “Wish You Were Here” operates as Goodbye Lullaby's “When You're Gone,” since it is nearly identical thematically (while it reminds me melodically of "Innocence"), and I am sure that it will be a single. “Smile” is a fast-paced song with attitude but is still a great deal of inches away from nearing The Best Damn Thing territory; “What the Hell” is definitely closer. “Stop Standing There” and “I Love You” are both mellow songs about being in love, and “Stop Standing There” is possibly the closest the album comes to Let Go, while “I Love You” is, for lack of a better description, an adorable song about loving someone for exactly who that person is, having no desire to change him or her. It is definitely a stand-out track, sounding a bit like something that would fit on Under My Skin, and it may just be me, but I think I hear a mandolin in the song.

The eighth track on the album is titled “Everybody Hurts.” Yes, when I first learned of the album's track-listing a few months ago, I wondered if the song would be an R.E.M. cover, which it is not; it is, however, nearly identical thematically; “Everybody hurts some days,” the refrain advises. “It's okay to be afraid. Everybody hurts; everybody screams. Everybody feels this way, and it's okay.” It would seem to me like Lavigne draws inspiration from the R.E.M. song and attempts to recreate it for her generation. The song sounds a lot like something from Lavigne's days prior to Let Go having been released.

“Not Enough” is nothing special, definitely not making any attempt to stand out on the album. However, like “Everybody Hurts,” it also reminds me of Lavigne's “demo” era, reminding me especially of “Get Over It.” The tenth track, “4 Real,” has a beat and a melody that are guaranteed to stick with you, and while I definitely love the song, it sadly loses a bit of credibility due to its use of the number “4” in place of the word “for.” I am not amused when artists do that, especially not ones for whom I have a lot of respect. Pay mind to the fortunate fact that you are not Kesha (or should I say Ke$ha?), Avril.

“Goodbye” seems to lack a component without that, especially since I expect it, but the strings are beyond gorgeous.

Next on the album is “Darlin,” and I love this song because of how positive it is, seeming to be an attempt to cheer the listener up, reminding him that the world is a beautiful place in which he is loved. "Darlin" was written when Lavigne was only fourteen or fifteen years old, which is another reason that I love it. “Remember When” and “Goodbye” are slow, beautiful tracks with very similar stories; they are both memorandums in which the speaker apologizes for having to temporarily leave her lover physically but reminds him that he is very loved, while explaining why. I love “Goodbye,” because lyrically, it has sentimental value to me. I only wish that “Goodbye” had ended the same way as “Remember When,” that is, included a band at the end of the song.

The album closes with an extended version of “Alice,” including an additional verse in between the original first and second verses. Fans will remember the song being featured on the Alice in Wonderland soundtrack last year, titled Almost Alice, and if one did not know that the song has ties to the film, either the title or the line “I found myself in Wonderland” should give that away. The standard edition of the album ends at this point, but the deluxe edition (the one that I purchased) includes acoustic versions of “What the Hell,” “Push” and “Wish You Were Here,” as well as the cover of Joan Jett's “Bad Reputation” and a bonus DVD. Overall, I am very happy with the album; it was worth the wait and definitely worth the money.

HIM - Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice, Chapters 1-13 [Review]

The band that identifies itself as a "love metal" band follows its 2007 release, Venus Doom, with Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice, Chapter 1-13. In its thirteen-year career, HIM has unleashed anthem after anthem, such as "Join Me," "Buried Alive by Love" and the American success, "Wings of a Butterfly." The most recent album since Screamworks garnered mild success with "The Kiss of Dawn," "Bleed Well" and "Passion's Killing Floor," featured on the Transformers soundtrack album. Screamworks is, as I believe each of the three albums since and including 2005's Dark Light have been, a break from the band's previous work, since it takes on a bit of a more uplifting and happy tone, songs such as "In Venere Veritas," "Scared to Death" and "Katherine Wheel" acting as examples.

The album opens with the aforementioned "In Venere Vertias," which opens the album with Ville's hook, "Let's fall apart together now." Venus Doom is an album with which Ville took the opportunity to experiment with his voice, especially on the title track, and he continues to do such on this album, especially on this song, beginning the chorus of the song in a relatively high register with the word "have," which then rapidly spirals downward into "no fear." Something that I have always loved about HIM is that it takes risks; it loves to make use of new ideas, and that is exactly why I wholeheartedly disagree with those who have told me in the past that the band is repetitive; no two albums, especially not since and including Dark Light, sound the same.

"In Venere Veritas" works as a great way to begin the album, a lot of energy and a lot of poetic beauty, something that has echoed throughout all thirteen years and seven albums of the band's career, beginning with 1997's Greatest Lovesongs, Vol. 666. “Scared to Death” rings with utterly beautiful melodic beauty, while the sheer energy of “Heartkiller” makes it act perfectly as the album's first single. Other standout tracks include the ballad “Disarm Me (with Your Loneliness),” the desperately seeking “Love, the Hardest Way,” the ridiculously catchy “Ode to Solitude” and “Acoustic Funeral (for Love in Limbo),” which despite the misleadingly dark title, is probably one of HIM's happiest songs yet. I enjoy, however, every single song on this album. It is the first album in at least a year to which I can't stop listening, because it is that highly addictive.

The album is definitely one of HIM's best albums yet, which, to me, says a lot, since the band tends to release masterpiece after masterpiece. This album and 2005's Dark Light are probably my two favorite albums to date. Something that I love about HIM is that they tend not to repeat ideas and sounds but instead consistently move forward with new and innovative ideas and sounds, and Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice, Chapter 1-13 is no exception, departing from Venus Doom, which Ville has described as a cross between Metallica and Bullet for My Valentine and instead creating a sound that he has described as “the first time [that] HIM does acknowledge that there is such a thing called happiness.” It is so different, in fact, that many HIM fans are criticizing it for that very reason, but Ville is a new man, sobered up but still making amazing music. I give the album a well-deserved five stars out of five.

Lady Gaga - The Fame Mons†er [Review]

As a good majority of you probably already know, I am a very big Lady Gaga fan. I think that she is incredibly creative, artistic, daring, and independent. She has undoubtedly changed the music industry, setting new grounds for artists that were most definitely not there before. I recently read one critic who argued that Gaga is not original at all, since she dresses like Björk, acts like Madonna, and sings like Gwen Stefani, but I would argue against most of these claims. She has the “out there” look that Björk always has, a sense of fashion that dares to defy norms. However, Gaga designs most of her own clothing, and a good majority of the clothing that she designs (although most definitely drawing influences from artists such as David Bowie and, yes, Björk) is very creative and original (where have you seen the bubble dress before?). I would not argue that her demeanor is anything like Madonna, except that I would argue that she has a similar need of daring to venture. As far as her vocals being compared to Gwen Stefani, there are undoubtedly tracks in which you would think it is Gwen if you didn't know any better. However, these tracks are limited to a select few, such as “Paparazzi,” “Paper Gangsta,” “Summerboy,” and “Filthy Pop,” and Gaga definitely has her own style of singing, which is definitely brought to light in songs such as “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance,” just to name a couple.

The highly-anticipated follow-up to last year's record, The Fame, was released yesterday, Monday, November 23rd, and even though the album is somewhat short (consisting of only eight tracks), it does not disappoint by any means. My anticipation for this album has been building up for quite some time now, and I don't, in any way, feel cheated (except for maybe the fact that I do wish the album were a little bit longer). After The Fame's release, Gaga began to explore fringes of her personality that she hadn't been immediately experiencing during the early days of her major success. She began to realize that as much as she loved fame, fame was not an all-seeing power of goodness but instead sometimes heavily comprised of monsters, or fears, with which, as a superstar, Gaga had to deal. She was consistently traveling since she was touring, and during her days on the road, she began to explore this dark side of fame musically, a project that came to be known as The Fame Mons†er, an eight-track sophomore effort that would bring Gaga's music to new levels.

The record opens with the hit single, “Bad Romance.” I have heard a great deal of people say that “Bad Romance” is more or less a reinvented “Poker Face,” but I drastically fail to understand the connection, not one that calls for that kind of comparison anyway. Her vocals are a bit similar, since in the verses, Gaga explores very low registers of her voice while in the refrain, she explores higher registers. However, I fail to understand how the melodies are similar. “Bad Romance” has already gone its way to becoming Gaga's fifth smash hit in the U.S. (the other four obviously being “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” “LoveGame” and “Paparazzi”), and the music video (which features Gaga as a sex slave, sold to the Russian mafia after a round of bidding) is by far her most genially creative one yet. Even if you're not a Gaga fan, I think that it would be rather difficult to get this track out of your head.

The second track that The Fame Mons†er has to offer is “Alejandro,” which had previously been titled “Don't Call My Name” when a short portion of the song had been leaked online. “Alejandro” has been described as a rehashing of the “What happens in Mexico stays in Mexico” adage. The speaker has traveled to Mexico, fallen in love with a boy who is either named Alejandro, Fernando or Roberto (she can't seem to recall), but she fears commitment and therefore insists on running away. The song is very powerful both melodically and vocally. Unfortunately, since “Alejandro” and “Dance in the Dark” have both been officially released as promotional singles to help promote The Fame Mons†er, we can probably rule this one out as a future single. The second and the third singles from the album have already been selected, which I will discuss momentarily.

The third number we're given is the track “Monster,” which I personally feel would have been a much better opener for the album. The song has previously been described as demonstrating a “fear of death,” and although I don't immediately interpret the lyrics of the song to be related to death, I am going to continue to listen and see where perhaps they could in fact be interpreted that way. The track opens with the spoken lines: “Don't call me Gaga / I've never seen one like that before / Don't look at me like that / You amaze me.” At first glance, the lyrics potentially seem to be about rape, which is why she refers to the boy as “a monster.” This track definitely has the potential of being a future single, and even though it has not been announced what the fourth single will be yet, I think that this might actually be it because I can definitely see this one doing well on the radio. There is a censored line in the song that upset me at first, because I thought that it was censored on the CD since I had bought it at Walmart, but further research has since indicated to me that the track is censored on all editions of the album, which I find to be a bit odd.

The album moves into its first and only ballad, which is the epic “Speechless,” a song that has already been confirmed as the album's third single. According to Gagapedia, Gaga's father had been very sick, and she recorded this song for him as a way to plead for him to receive heart surgery that he needed. “I think it's the best song I've ever written,” Gaga, herself, says about the song. “It's about my dad. It's a really beautiful ballad. It's piano-driven, and there's no beat on it. It's all live instruments. I produced it with Ron Fair, so we did a full live orchestra, recorded everything with live drums, live guitar and bass with me playing piano. We got that really organic, delicious feeling.” “Speechless” is probably my second favorite song on the record and really does stand out as incredibly powerful and emotional. To those of you who watched the American Music Awards the night before last, this was the second song that she performed, the one in which she played at a piano and broke Vodka bottles over it.

The first few times that I heard “Telephone,” I was not very impressed. It just isn't as powerful as some of the other material that The Fame Mons†er has to offer, and even though it is still not one of my favorites on the album, it has grown on me, and I like it a lot better than I did when I first heard it. The track features vocals by pop superstar Beyoncé (who was originally supposed to be Britney Spears, but Britney's vehement desire to include the track on her new Greatest Hits collection caused some complications), and the lyrical content seems to be relatively simple. It seems to be about a girl who is out partying with her friends who is consistently being annoyed by her boyfriend texting her cell phone. Its simplicity could be one reason why it is not one of my favorites on the album, but one fact that needs to be kept in mind is that out of the eight songs on the record, this is the only one that was not actually written during the Mons†er era. “Telephone” was written during the Fame era and was initially supposed to be sung solely by Britney for her Circus album. This has been selected as the second single from the album and is expected to be released in early 2010.

Although I have not mentioned it until now, there are two songs on the album that remind me a bit of “Just Dance,” and those two songs are “Monster” and “So Happy I Could Die,” while “Monster” shares very similar electronic accompaniment, and the next song on the record, “So Happy I Could Die,” is somewhat similar melodically. “So Happy I Could Die” is another song that I haven't been able to fully decode just yet, but the title does seem to be fairly self-explanatory. This one has a bit of growing to do on me yet, since I am not absolutely crazy over it just yet like I am “Speechless” and “Dance in the Dark” (a dark and almost industrial dance track which is my favorite song on the album). The album closes with the song “Teeth,” which is a very blunt, R&B-like track that, to be quite honest, closes the album leaving you wanting more. Like I said, The Fame Mons†er is incredible, but if I can find any fault in it whatsoever, it's that I would have liked for it to have been a bit longer. It is more outrageous than The Fame while at the same time is more down to earth, and I love how in the track “Monster,” she shouts out to the very first hit with the line, “I want to just dance, but he took me home instead.” Her voice is also a lot more natural on this record, with not as much production applied as songs such as “Poker Face,” and you have once again not failed to please, Gaga.

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus at SUNY Oswego Campus Center Arena [Sunday, 4/26/09] [Review]

On Sunday, April 26, 2009, a total of five bands played at SUNY Oswego in the Campus Center arena. The show featured Los Angeles-based Drive A, Madina Lake, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Secondhand Serenade and N.E.R.D (with Pharell), respectively. I was very surprised by how few people there seemed to be at the concert, especially with The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus there. I thought that it was going to next to impossible to even breathe in there, but it wasn't that bad at all. Overall, however, I vehemently enjoyed the show for the most part and was especially impressed by Drive A and Madina Lake.

My friends and I were all under the impression that the show was only three acts, with N.E.R.D., Secondhand Serenade and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus playing, but when we got there, we were surprised to find that there were two other opening acts, as well. I find it odd because as I found out later, Madina Lake is actually somewhat popular, and I heard that of a lot of people who didn't go to the concert were extremely disappointed that Madina Lake was there, and this was because Madina Lake was not advertised at all. I know that they were booked late in the game, but there still could have been some notification beforehand.

I seemed to be the black sheep of the family when it came to Drive A, the first band that played. When they got up on the stage, the first thing that immediately caught my attention was how young they were, especially the lead singer. I therefore wasn't expecting much; however, I thought that they were amazing. Even though they seemed to receive a good response from the crowd, a lot of my friends didn't have very many good things to say about them afterwards. One of my friends said that they were “Jonas Brothers wannabes” which I don't understand in the least bit; they don't look or sound anything like the Jonas Brothers. Someone else said that they thought that they were cool but that they really weren't.

It seemed to me like the people who didn't like them ridiculed them because of how young they are, which I find to be unfair. In fact, their age is what impressed me. If you visit the band's MySpace or download their single called “Are You Blind?” from iTunes, you'll hear the pipes on that kid, who apparently is sixteen years old. I was very impressed with their performance and can't wait for the album to be released, which is mid-May, not sure of the exact date. They didn't play very many songs, but I really enjoyed what they did play. I thought that they were very fresh and energetic and that they really blended in with the rest of the bands that played.

Secondly, we had the pleasure of seeing Madina Lake live, a very pleasant surprise. As soon as the band walked onto the stage, the first thought that ran through my head was My Chemical Romance because of the symbols on their sleeves and the white-blond hair, which reminded me of Gerard Way during the Black Parade era. Some of their music, however, really reminded me of Muse. They put on an excellent show, and everyone who I spoke to about them after the concert agreed with me. I really liked their musical style, and it was great how they got the crowd engaged, especially by throwing oversized balloons into the crowd which resulted in everyone engaging in what I could best describe as volleyball without a net.

After Madina Lake came The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. I was very disappointed with them, especially since they were who I was there to see. First of all, Ronnie has an amazing voice, and you couldn't hear him. I don't know if it was because the volume on his mic was turned down too low, but I think that's what the problem was. You could just barely him. I mean, it was bad to the point where I often found myself not knowing what the song was until the refrain began. Not only that, but I felt that, for the most part, they chose some of their weaker songs to play. In my opinion, their greatest and most powerful songs are “Misery Loves Its Company,” “Godspeed,” and “Believe,” and they didn't play any of those. One of the main reasons why I couldn't wait to see them live was to hear them play “Godspeed” live, and I was vehemently disappointed when they didn't.

Lastly (I didn't stay for N.E.R.D.) was Secondhand Serenade. They were also very good. The singer, John Vesely, was very easy to hear, and his performance garnered a very strong response out of the crowd. I was very surprised by how many people in the crowd knew not only "Fall for You" but many of the songs. I knew a few, including “Fall for You” but ultimately wasn't as familiar with their music as I'd have liked to have been, but I thought that their performance was very impressive. However, I thought that Drive A and Madina Lake were the best, and overall, I felt that my twenty dollars was definitely worth it.