Shannon
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SFTROU review on The Tartan
« on: Sep 13th, 2010, 11:39am » |
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Bareilles and Goo Goo Dolls do it again
Two household names top this week’s new releases with their most recent albums
The Goo Goo Dolls — Something for the Rest of Us
It’s hard to believe that the Goo Goo Dolls released their first album way back in 1987. They weren’t much of a household name until the 1998 explosion of their song “Iris” brought them into mainstream music. Since then, they’ve obtained a good amount of consistent success. Their previous album came out back in 2005, so it’s been a while since the Dolls have been in the spotlight. But now, they’re back with a new album, Something for the Rest of Us, and it feels like they never even left.
“Sweetest Lie” is a solid song by the Dolls. It’s got great lyrics that flow poetically against the fortuitous guitars. The next song, “As I Am,” has a strong chorus and speaks of how great it is to find your matching puzzle piece. “Home” is the first single from the album, and it’s got the familiar guitar in the background against lead singer Johnny Rzeznik’s matured rhymes. The chorus is nice, as Rzeznik’s voice treats us to a nice vocal range while singing over his own vocals, begging to be taken back to his place of comfort.
“Notbroken” is a true gem, hiding among the many upbeat tracks on the album. What seems to be a ballad at first listen turns into a powerful anthem of love and the desire to hold on to what you haven’t truly lost. “One Night” is an anthem of spontaneity and living life in the moment. In “Nothing is Real,” Rzeznik sings about going back home to find how things have unfortunately changed. Following that, “Now I Hear,” sung by guitarist Robby Takac, talks of retrospection and regret.
The next tune, “Still Your Song,” is solid throughout. The song is a bit softer than the others, as it starts with a piano and makes use of the strings of an orchestra. The title song, “Something for the Rest of Us,” seems it would fit better as a closer with its drawn-out backing vocals and crescendo of guitars. But at the climax of the song, it dies. It goes back to the calm, adrift-at-sea crooning that seems like it’ll keep repeating until a fadeout. “Say You’re Free” is another of the songs sung by Takac, as he lends his rugged smoker’s voice to this track, definitely altering the flow of the album.
“Hey Ya” starts off soft, and you feel like it might be the theme music of a dream in heaven. But when the bridge and chorus greet us, we get to experience the guitars once again and the crescendo of a steady drumbeat. Verse two comes in, and we’re on a quicker tempo. The song starts off with: “If I could give you all the things you’ve been denied, would it change you, would you feel alive?” and continues with more great lyrics throughout. The closer, “Soldier,” doesn’t really sound like a closer, but the Dolls leave us with a powerful song about a strong person.
Listen Up: “Home,” “Notbroken,” “Hey Ya”
The Verdict: The Goo Goo Dolls have had a great track record, and this album supports that. The songs all sound pretty similar, but they’re great stand-alone tunes if you let them be that.
http://thetartan.org/2010/9/13/pillbox/albums Click on the link if you'd like to read the review of Sara Bareilles' new CD. I edited it out.
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