Release Date: 05/27/08Genre: Singer-Songwriter, Pop Rock
I wanted to hate this guy. Just look at his face. It's like his eyes are holding back a tortured soul and I just got the feeling that he was just another sad, sappy singer-songwriter. On normal circumstance, if I don't like the myspace songs, I stop caring, but Chad was recommended by a follow Lifehouse fan so I've been googling this album on and off for the last 3 months. Now that I finally have it, this guy easily beats Lifehouse's last album. For starters, he knows how to end his song.
Review: Yeah, all of his songs end in such style. His myspace songs didn't showcase that for me. Admitly, I stopped after the first chorus, but in the case of "Wanting More," that intro riff didn't sound pleasing. I didn't find the guitar chords really interesting either. But hearing the song within the content of the album structure and allowing it to unroll, the vocal display he puts into the song is a killer.
"Awake In The Morning" begin with him gently singing and I first thought he sounded too unmanly for my liking. Again, hearing it within the album structure and allowing him to build up to the bridge with background singers on hand. Very well done and I have that line, "so if I sleep away the entire day would you wake me" stitched inside my brain. I'm not sure why I didn't expect that, but I didn't so it was a pleasant surprise to hear that much evoking power where his vocals might break, but doesn't.
"Blinded" is the album opener and it's a catchy tune. It gave me high hope for the rest of the album. It's the one I kept going back to in order to get use to his vocals. We get to hear a song similar to it with "Here It Is." All albums need that upbeat stuff to balance the heavier stuff. "Since You" and "Madison" follow the opener with some folk qualities. The intro to "Losing Direction" sounds exactly like "Hotel Paper." I just had to point that out. But once I let the song unfold, the addition of the female vocals just made the song whole. It just fits.
I consider the first 7 tracks to be the high point. "Nantucket" is a pretty nice campfire song, but to follow it with "Only We'll Know" hurts a bit. I tend to not like songs in a Minor Key. I could be wrong, but it sounded like it was a Minor key. I just felt that on its own, it's a little draggy, but because it's after a slow song, the ending to "Only We'll Know" felt like it's trying too hard to be that loving powerhouse.
Just kidding, "Keep Us Around" is trying to hard to be the emotional powerhouse. At least the ending is good. Actually it isn't. And "Give In" had a crappy fade out ending. Also, it's the odd ball track that's a little dance-pop. I don't like it at all. "Mary-Anne" went by too slow and "Train Ride" is boring.
Summary: I usually don't like his type of vocals, but I can't deny his ability to create songs. It suffers a bit for it's long time, but if you stop after track 11, it's a solid album. I wish his songs were more pleasing at the start because it doesn't feel unique til much later. But overall, it's a satisfying listen.
Key Tracks: Blinded, Awake in the Morning, Losing Direction
Rating: 7/10
No comments:
Post a Comment