Nickleback – Dark Horse

Nickleback…Oh how you divide people. You literally split the world in two with people who either hate you or love you. You as a band are practically untouchable since you rarely talk to the paparazzi, you have written hit after hit with your albums and you uphold this image that you are one of the best bands ever even if other people don’t think so. But let me, a humble music critic born in your home-town of Hanna, ask you this: Does Dark Horse live up to your name or have you become what haters believe you are? Let’s dissect the newest album given us to the “Gods of Rock Known as Nickleback” and see if they live up to their name.

First, the album art:

When I look at this, It reminds me of a country album. It looks like it’s a tombstone belt buckle. The obvious horseshoe, the fabric crossing the bottom of the album cover and the font of the letters within the horseshoe itself give it away. It would make the average person think, “Gee, perhaps Nickleback decided to make a country album? If they did, it’s just another genre they decided to conquer and tick off their ‘Genres Nickleback Can Do’ list?” Far From it. The sound that Nickleback went for on this album is FAR from a country sound. But that doesn’t mean that their image is necessarily unfitting. Nickleback being a small town Albertan band may have paid homage to their western roots embedded in the heart of the Albertan foothills. Although on first glance it looks country. If you stare at it long enough it doubles as a metal cover. The excessive amount of steel that cover a good portion of the cover and a black tinge give it a metal album feel. It’s almost like it’s saying, “We’re country at heart, but we can rock when we try. Overall, it’s fairly accurate to their sound as they have songs with a heavy sound beside slower acoustic songs.

The first single is called Something in Your Mouth. The one thing I actually like about Nickleback is their songs tell a story, but when that story is about women and sex, it’s like reading the same shitty book over and over, and in this case we read it 3 times. It’s not like this story has been told before anyways (see: Any big hair metal band such as Kiss or Motley Crue). Although we hear the same story throughout the album, Nickleback has this uncanny ability to make the song catchy. Something in Your Mouth specifically, is the only song of the three that really get your foot tapping.

My personal favourite on the album is If Today Was Your Last Day. Long enough name, but it’s the only song that has a story worth listening to compared to the rest of the songs on the album. Although the best listen, this story has been told hundreds of times by hundreds of bands from almost every genre of music. Like I said previously though, Nickleback knows how to make the song catchy and force you to listen to it a few more times.

My final Verdict? Nickleback fans rejoice! Dark Horse is another incredible hit from your favorite band. The critics? Rejoice as well! More fodder for you to rip apart to back up your view on Nickleback and their ability to keepa tyrannical hold onto their fans by blinding them with catchy songs and frat boy stories!

Old Crows / Young Cardinals

I have listened to Alexisonfire ever since their self titled disc and have seen them change. In their first CD, their song structure was very weak, but innovative. They started to get the hang of it by Watch Out! and mastered the art by Crisis. With Old Crows / Young Cardinals, Their evolution seems complete.

The album itself, like most new albums, is made of a cardboard instead of plastic. Here’s the album art:

The album art is very simplistic, but Alexisonfire isn’t really known for intricate and big album art (See: Alexisonfire, Watch Out! and Crisis) compared to other bands. As stated, the album art is simplistic, but it suits it. The album is called Old Crows / Young Cardinals, so why not paint a cardinal and crow for it? (Thanks to Paul Jackson for the album art and the collage.)

I have to admit, it took me a little longer to review this CD because Alexisonfire has an uncanny ability to make you want to listen to their songs over and over. The single Young Cardinals is one of those songs. The beat is fast, Dallas sings with more emphasis and heart than he ever has in previous Alexisonfire albums and the harmonies during the chorus ring so beautifully. Unlike their older songs, George is not screaming. His new way of screaming is definitely new and you may be shocked when you first hear him. Although he isn’t screaming like he has been in previous albums, his singing is harsh and rough sounding, almost like a half scream half sing and once you get used to it, it sounds really good.

A personal favourite on the CD is Born and Raised. As soon as the song starts, you are hit with a wicked solo. Dallas’ parts have so much emphasis into them, but it doesn’t drown out Wade for the harmonies and it doesn’t drown out the instruments. The balance between them makes the song so much better since nothing is overpowering. The chorus is incredibly catchy, and the drums keep a simple beat. The outro to the song is another solo and then when the song ends, it comes to a rolling stop. The song is just so catchy that you want to listen to it a few more times before moving on to the next song.

Old Crows / Young Cardinals Is a definite hit. Unfortunately, they moved away from the basics with George’s new way of singing and they sound nothing like their first album. If you loved listening to George scream or you loved the innovative song structure on their first album, you may be dissapointed. It is different, but different is good in terms of Old Crows / Young Cardinals. It is a definite want if you are collecting Alexisonfire albums or you love their music. It is also a strong statement that Alexisonfire isn’t going to be finished any time soon. With this new sound, they could continue on for a long time.

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Swoon (Silversun Pickups)

I’m pretty new to the sound that Silversun Pickups brings to the table. I bought Carnavas and listened to them for a while. When I heard Swoon came out, I decided to go buy it because I liked Carnavas and expected it to be good. As you listen to Swoon, you can tell it’s a similar sound but it’s still original.

Here’s the album art:

The first thing that came to mind was modern art. If you’ve ever been to the Museum of Modern Art in New York or seen any modern art pieces you can see where It’s coming from. The choice for the album art is accurate. Silversun Pickups is a very modern sound, but it’s completely different than what is out there. Modern art tries to paint the soul, and Swoon is like a modern artist’s attempt at playing the soul. They’re showing their love for music and it really shows. The modern art album cover is perfect for their sound.

One song that really stood out, which is probably why it’s their single, was Panic Switch. It’s one of their faster paced songs on the album and it starts off with this really cool distorted guitar sound and then goes right into a short guitar riff. The bass line in the song is catchy and along with the drums makes a great play during the verses. The verses focus on his singing. The bass is low, the guitar isn’t playing and the drums in the back are the same beat the whole time. You get a warning when they’re going into the chorus because you hear the guitar kick in and you know the chorus is coming. It’s a nice transition, but the chorus itself seems too muddled. Everything together pulls away from the lead singer’s voice and he has a good voice. They also lead you back into the verse so it’s a good flow from chorus to verse and verse to chorus. The bridge is really interesting. Unlike the chorus, the voice of the singer out does the guitar, drums and bass and surpasses them, but it’s only for a few seconds before they go back into the chorus where the voice is overthrown by bass and guitar. Throughout the song, you don’t really hear anything out of place. The whole song is repeated bass riffs, drums and guitar. It’s simple, but simple works.

Swoon is definitely what you would expect from Silversun Pickups. It’s an original sound, the lead singer’s voice is amazing and he puts so much into his songs, which is why it’s a bit of a let down that his voice is overpowered in some of the songs. If you like Nirvana or The Smashing Pumpkins, you just might like Silversun Pickups and Swoon.

Take This Home (Final Thought)

The lead singer of this band sits in Chemistry class with me and I got a hold of his EP when I had asked for a song from him to put onto the end-of-the-year slide show for our school. I never put any of his songs on the slide show (mostly because I couldn’t figure it out), but then I thought, “Why not review it the CD?”

Some background information for this band, they’ve been on the scene since 2006 and their EP is known as Take This Home. Gene Simmons heard these guys and he thought they really had something. Would I be one to argue with Gene Simmons? No, but I might take a shot at it.

Let’s start off with the album art:

I’ve never felt so hungry and guilty for wanting to eat food. The album art just doesn’t suit the mood for the CD. It’s silly, it’s funny and it’s purple. It was a poor choice considering the content of their music. Although silly, it’s original. You could probably sit and stare at the silly drumsticks with smiles and giggle every time (I know I do). A hit and miss, but it’s their first release so they have room for mistake.

The first track is called Grow Up. After a REALLY long minute for an intro, You finally get into the song and it’s too choppy. Flowing from verse to chorus is too sudden. It’s kind of like, “walking down the street and then suddenly being hit by a bicycle” sudden. To top it off, the song finishes as soon as it starts and you’re left sitting there going, “That’s it?” The use of the piano is nice. Over this steady drumming and rhythm guitar, the different tone of the piano gives a separate feel to the song than the other instruments playing, which really works.

Out of the 6 tracks on the EP, There is one REALLY good song that should have you tapping along with your foot and it would have made a better first track than Grow Up. The song is called Take You Home and I just can’t stop listening to it. The opening isn’t too long or too short and transition from verse to chorus is fluid. It’s definitely a song where the lead singer really does shine as a vocalist. His voice is clear, precise and powerful which just makes the whole experience more emotional. The chorus is so catchy that by the second time around listening to it you will sing along. The only thing remotely faulty with it is that the song was, like the first track, sounding like it was recorded underwater and it came to an abrupt stop. Although rough you really don’t care because you’re pulled into the song. The abrupt stop leaves you wanting more and makes you LISTEN to more of the EP which would have made it a more effective first track.

Take This Home Is Final Thought’s real first kick at the cat to the big time and it can make or break a band. Although recording is a little off and song structure could use a little work, the EP is a good listen, especially if you like bands like Tokyo Police Club. So maybe Gene Simmons was right, we really should be listening to these kids. If you would like to listen to a few of their songs, go to www.finalthoughtband.com and listen to the songs they have posted on their site.

21st Century Breakdown

I was listening to my favorite radio station and they were giving away free copies of the new Green Day CD 21st Century Breakdown. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to win a free CD so I called in. Long story short, I won and after about 2 weeks I got it in the mail.

The first Green Day CD I ever bought was American Idiot and that was back when I was just a crazy kid. I always saw Green Day as this band who had these opinions about government and views that they expressed in their music always seemed bold and this feeling I had as a kid was validated when I received 21st Century Breakdown. They haven’t gotten away from what they truly believe in which is good. It’s got a classic feel to it, but it’s the new stuff, and who doesn’t like new stuff?

The CD itself is broken into 3 acts: Heroes and Guns, Charlatans and Saints and Horseshoes and Handgrenades, each telling a different story and each having the sound you would expect from Green Day and to be honest every single one of these songs has the potential to be a single. Here’s the CD’s title track:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZev6i1pv5Y

Excluding the opening bit that sounds like a radio transmission, It’s the first title track on the CD and I can see why. It pulls you right into it with a sound you would expect from Green Day, which pulls skeptic older fans in and gives the newer listeners a taste of what these guys do. Ever listen to a band, think they’re really good, then hear some of their old stuff and just don’t like it? 21st Century Breakdown is exactly what the band is supposed to sound like and is a good spot to start if you’re a new fan.

Compared to older songs off of say… Dookie, I still hear their original sound. The vibe they give off hasn’t changed since the beginning, but actually comparing it side by side you can tell that these guys have changed in skill, experience and age.

My personal favorite on the CD is 21 Guns. It’s a slower song compared to the rest of the CD, but what drew me to it was the sudden change from acoustic guitar to electric when you’re pulled into the chorus. Some bands just don’t know how to pull this off, but 21 Guns flows smoothly from acoustic to electric with a beat and it’s soft on the ears. There’s a decent solo 3:15 in too. Nothing too extravagant to take away from the flow of the song and it keeps the flow of the song going.

For a guy who doesn’t really listen to Green Day much, this new album is definitely something worth checking out. If you’re a long-time fan of Green Day, you’ll like it. If you’re a new fan, It’s as good a place to start as any.

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