Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)When I heard Lovehatehero's new album would come out this year, I was psyched. Their last album, White Lies, was amazing. This metal-edged punk-screamo outfit managed to tap into raw anger, sorrow, happiness, and love with well-written, dynamic, catchy melodies. I was hoping that their new album would have that same range of emotional expression and musical diversity.
My hopes were crushed. Utterly. The edgy, angry punk/metal-esque elements have been removed altogether and what remains is whiny, emo, pop-rock. It's as if the band was kidnapped and replaced by clones who can only write empty flat songs that are pale imitations of the genuine article. The only track that hints at the genius of their last album is Echoes, and even that is stretch. The production values have suffered as well. The guitars sound thin, emasculated along with the rest of the music I suppose. And the lyrics border on being infantile - "It's as easy as 1, 2, 3, L-O-V-E" is a quote from Think Twice (Running With Scissors Pt. II), which is an unworthy sequel to a powerful, moving song from their previous album.
I'm not someone who likes a band to release the same album over and over again for their entire career, which is the story of all too many metal and punk bands (and rappers, for that matter). I'm all for experimenting and growing musically.
However, "American Underwater" is not a bold experiment gone wrong. The album is "playing it safe" via a piss-poor attempt to blend into the mainstream by ditching the rough lyrical and musical edges that made the band original and interesting in the first place. Whether or not this was done to increase record sales is not something I care to speculate on - calling a band a sellout is a serious charge - but this review is about results, not motivations.
Lovehatehero's label, Ferret Music, stated in their press release for this album: "the band retooled their sound. The result was a record that focuses more on their well-developed vocal melodies and cleanly polished hooks. Nearly reinventing themselves as a whole, the group dropped a lot of the edginess from their songs, using it sparingly instead of as a crutch to rest on. For this release, 'maturing as songwriters' wasn't just a cliché." They went on to claim that the album was filled with "anthemic, pop-laced rock songs."
Any time you see a label jumping with joy about a band's reinvention, dropped edginess, new-found "maturity," and "anthemic, pop-laced" songs, brace yourself. You are about to be bored to death by focus group-approved easy listening. I can only hope that they return to their "immature" roots with their next release. In the meantime, I'll be listening to White Lies, hoping.
Click Here to see more reviews about: America Underwater
When LoveHateHero exited Dreamlab Productions with ten anthemic pop laced rock songs, powered by Pierrick's signature vocals and Kevin Gruft's relentless guitar attack. With Scot Gee(drums) and Paris Bosserman (bass solidifying the rhythm section, the band steamrolls forward with more passion and fervor than ever. LoveHateHero now looks to blast headfirst into 2009 with the release of Fight or Flight and endless touring to support the album and spread their sound to new listeners. Look for them later this spring supporting the release of Fight or Flight and later this year on Warped Tour!
0 comments:
Post a Comment