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Review of
Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace
Immediately takes me back to College |
Views : 312 |
2
Votes
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 I am listening to this for the first time whilst i write as to give my first impression a review of its own (i may edit at a later date or do another review once i re listen a few times) The Offspring are a band that i always feel i should be "too old" to listen to now, but being younger than the band members, i can almost justify it to myself, and im glad i try because despite their newer work not being a patch on their older, this album (after 3 songs in) is already better than a lot of crap people are listening to, and so far i am impressed that it seems better than Splinter was. (Although i personally felt Splinter was a decent album...) The first song, "Half Truism" Sounds like classic Offspring from the outset, the second i heard Dexter's voice i digressed years back to being a teen buying Americana in my local Boilermakers for the first time. The chorus to the song is reminiscent of the precise thing i loved about the band, i always find they excel when they aren't trying to make you laugh/the song sounds more serious/sad. It is very impressive to see they have barely changed their style in decades now whilst others reinvent themselves on a daily basis. Trust In You instantly reminds me of "Smash" (The album not the song) when it starts, i hope that is what they were aiming for because it worked if they were! Although saying that, i cant make my mind up anymore, now its got a more "Conspiracy of One" feel to it! I am going to enjoy this album i can tell. Much to my partners disdain as she can not stand my affection towards whinier singers with high pitched voices!! "You're gonna go far, Kid" sounds like it could potentially be a pop track, i do not suspect it will be a "successful" one but in my opinion i could listen to it on the radio. It is catchy and has memorable lines i can imagine people using as their IM usernames for the next couple of months. "Hammerhead" next, iv not heard this but im aware it has been out for a while now. I would say personally, it would not be my first choice of song to be released early, my appetite for the album would have been quelled hearing this first of all, but that does not mean it is bad, it is just the least impressive of the four songs i have heard so far. It is beginning to slow down in the middle though... i am hopeful for a revival in the song to convince me they knew what they were doing!!....Bloody hell, i was getting ready to say "Nope, failed" But i like it! Bit of a deviation from the rest of the song, and then the end. The first half of it could be better, but the second half makes for a good song. "A Lot Like Me" - Starts like a dance track mixed with a Coldplay album! The lead changes in this song (or at least the tone if it is still Dexter, to be honest, i am just assuming its not him, and guessing it is Noodles), Dexter is reserving his usual voice for the background and chorus, it is a bit of a different style for the band, but it works brilliantly. "Takes Me Nowhere" and "Kristy are you doing okay?" didn't really jump out at me, i sat here waiting to write, and wound up surfing the internet through them out of slight boredom. Most albums tend to lapse slightly in the middle i guess, but again it seems Kristy was released early too, i can not see why, unless they wrote it early. I may edit this bit later on after a few more listens, if i do not, then assume that they never grew on me. "Nothingtown" - I really like the beat and the rhythm to this song, it is very upbeat and the guitar work does not sound like their normal way of playing. If this had been pre-released, or even made the radio i think it would do better/have raised more eyebrows in happiness. Its not amazing or anything, but it is better than the last two for sure! "Stuff is messed up" - Sounds like one of their old fashioned "This is fucked" rage about the worlds stupidity song. It even includes the line "I'm telling you, shit is fucked up!!" and "The ends justify the means" they tended to deviate from their "message" songs, or I've just missed the point in their later songs... (If i have forgotten some, remind me!) I like this song though, especially the random word rant in the middle, that must of taken balls to try! "Fix You" looks like it will be a sad song, im hopeful it will meet their usual standards of excellence. So far, with lines like "I WISH I COULD FIX YOOOU!!" im not very impressed, it sounds like it is trying to be songs like "Denial Revisited" and failing. The verses are better than the chorus, and it also seems to be trying to become more what is expected, the "oooooohs" do not sound like Offspring "Oooohs" they sound like generic "Oooohs" "Lets Hear It For Rock Bottom" - feels suspiciously like Album filler, and not just any Album Filler, but it has a distinct Blink 182 feel to it, like they've borrowed it to fill a gap. Slightly harsh perhaps, but i thought for a while before putting which band i thought it sounded like and then Blink fit the bill perfectly. "Rise and Fall" - Now let me see, its in the title of the album, so SHOULD be the best song right? Its about to start....and its also the very last song so i am expecting big. Perhaps thats my problem, expecting. Its not exactly epic, but it sounds okay. The chorus isn't as catchy as it is repetitive. There are one or two lines that made me think "Heh" slightly, but nothing special. Not the big finale an album should finish with! "O.C Life" - The Secret Track! - This is more like it! Fast, the words aren't as thoughtful as their other songs, but its guitar is better and there is no repetitive lyrics. Except the chorus of course. Whilst being better than Rise and Fall, it still lacks that spark which makes it special. Overall i would say the album, first listen through, is a 6/10 at best. Hopefully it will grow on me like other albums often do, but some of the songs hardly gave me reason to, and i am usually pretty tolerant enough to listen a few times first. I cant imagine impatient people who judge songs/albums in one listen will last more than half the songs before switching off, or if they last the course they'll unlikely return. For fans though, you'll love it no doubt, it is the Offspring, but with some new sounds! 6/10 Comments |
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I was listening to Smash last night because of this review. Classic.