ALBUM REVIEW: The Cab – “Symphony Soldier”
Album Review
The Cab – “Symphony Soldier” (2011, Z Entertainment)
Reviewer: Corey Thibodeaux
This album wasn’t supposed to happen.
When The Cab released its first album, Whisper War, in 2007 and earned moderate success with the bumping hit “Bounce.” There was enough exposure and talent in that debut to assume that the band would jump to some form of stardom. Before that jump ever happened, members of the band left to pursue other ventures, pushing lead singer Alex DeLeon to ask for a new guitarist on Twitter. Adding to the hardships, earlier this year the group left Fueled by Ramen, the label who produces similar bands such as Paramore, Panic! at the Disco and Cobra Starship. So without a couple founding members and a label, The Cab funded Symphony Soldier all on its own. And what they created is nothing short of amazing.
For those who don’t know, The Cab is a pop-rock band with an emo edge playing Warped Tour though they can easily fit into top-40 radio (Bruno Mars and Maroon 5′s Adam Levine contributed to the album). It’s like listening to a Jonas Brothers/ Fall Out Boy hybrid without any of the guilt. But even that’s not a fair comparison because they have defined themselves as a unique entity and its only a matter of time until the masses get a hold of them.
The vocals need no enhancing and it’s a shame DeLeon’s voice hasn’t been more recognized. And in what is now the trademark of this band, the upbeat melodies are a simple yet complex delight to hear. Noted by the album title and the first track, “Angel With a Shotgun”, The Cab fought all of its struggles in recent years with music while keeping their identity as a refreshingly innocent bunch with an occasional act of lust or cold-heartedness. There are so many good things going on this album yet it all meshes well together. From the adorable “Endlessly” to the raunchy “Animal”, the one consistency is the absolute catchy and feel-good tone no matter what the content of the song is.
Symphony Soldier is more representative of the band than the album, fighting through hardships for the sake of music in a diluted industry and coming out ahead. And they have plenty of ammo left.
ALBUM REVIEW: Incubus – “If Not Now, When?”
Album Review
Incubus – “If Not Now, When?” (2011, Epic Records)
Reviewer: Corey Thibodeaux
A tour bus is no place to find inspiration for a new album. Amidst all of Incubus’ success as a band, the momentum of sustaining the hype was taking its toll on the music writing process.
After touring in 2006 to promote Light Grenades, Incubus took a much needed break. Some band members needed to explore new musical dimensions, like lead singer Brandon Boyd releasing his solo album, The Wild Trapeze. Some needed to go to school. Some needed to have kids and spend time with family. It was Incubus’ longest layoff between albums so they could experience life.
From the first track of If Not Now, When?, it’s obvious the band is in a different place, laid out in it’s loving lyrics and gentle sound. The album opens up with the title track showing off their new, simplistic atmospheric approach. It is by far the softest album the band has ever released but it tends to reach new depths musically, culminating in the seven and a half minute wonderment of “In the Company of Wolves”.
If Not Now, When? has more warmth than even the lighter tracks on2001′s Morning View, the closest comparison you can make between albums. In other words, it makes for a great summer evening soundtrack. “Switchblade” is the only song that could be considered “aggressive,” probably to show that they can still go that direction.
Incubus is one of the few bands where you can say that each album sounds completely different than all the others, which makes comparing them awfully difficult. But does it really matter? You’ve got to appreciate a band of this caliber taking time off to experience what we all take for granted and then do what they do best: making another solid album.
ALBUM REVIEW: Crossfade – “We All Bleed”
Album Review
Crossfade – “We All Bleed” (2011, Eleven Seven Music)
Reviewer: Corey Thibodeaux
It seemed that after Crossfade released their second album, Falling Away, in 2006, the band thought it would ride this success for the rest of their lives.
Reality hit them hard in 2008 when Columbia Records dropped them from the label because of the album’s disappointment. This spiraled lead singer Ed Sloan into depression, wondering where the band went wrong after the platinum success of their self-titled debut in 2004.
Now, five years since their last release and with the freedom of a smaller record label, Crossfade has rebounded and tapped into the darkest parts of their past and put out a redefining rock album.
We All Bleed is a throttling ride through despair that goes beyond the simple head-banging formula for hard rock albums. While some traditional rock-sounding songs find their way onto the album, tracks such as “Prove You Wrong” and “Open Up Your Eyes” add keyboards and orchestras to the mix, attaining an even deeper level of emotion. Layering the instruments and vocals helped push this We All Bleed to become one that you feel, not just hear.
The album is properly sent off with the 10-minute epic “Make Me a Believer,” where those words echo throughout the track while the singer tries to find a way out of his miserable state.
We All Bleed isn’t getting the hype it once would have gotten from a band with such commercial success. After being out of the industry for so long and a forgettable second album, Crossfade has some redeeming to do. Whatever happens, We All Bleed is a great way to start.
ALBUM REVIEW: Black Veil Brides – “Set the World on Fire”
Album review
The Black Veil Brides – “Set The World On Fire” (2011, Lava Records)
Reviewer: Corey Thibodeaux
With the hard rock industry as saturated as it is, anything that steers away from the norm seems like a blessing.
The Black Veil Brides used their modernistic Kiss-inspired act to make an album that alienated them from today’s leading rock bands. They succeeded on their new release, Set the World on Fire, but not enough to be considered a novelty.
But give it to the band for being confident with this being their sophomore record. Frontman and founder Andy Six was ubiquitously quoted as saying this would be the greatest record ever made. There’s more. They titled the 11-track demo CD for the new album Black Veil Brides’ Greatest Hits because they thought it was so much better than everything they have ever done.
You can’t get a good grasp of them just by their appearance. They aren’t some glam-rock or Hot Topic band like they are advertised, rather they fall more in the line of a Hinder or even a tiny bit Avenged Sevenfold. The title track is the most indicative representation of how the band uses the grand approach of classic rock bands, yet has an aggressive edge for the modern age. “Fallen Angels” is an anthem for the unappreciated youth and is the stand-out track on the album. They even show a soft side with “Saviour.”
Is it the greatest record ever? Not by a long shot. But for a general fan of energetic arena-type rock with solid performances from the vocals down, it is a bold effort.
ALBUM REVIEW: Tech N9ne – “All 6′s and 7′s”
Album Review
Tech N9ne – “All 6′s and 7′s” (2011, Strange Music Records)
Reviewer: Corey Thibodeaux
OK, let’s get one thing straight. Despite contributions from several A-list rappers – including Lil Wayne, B.o.B., Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, T-Pain – Tech N9ne does not aim to be recognized to the degree of those rappers: “Tech will never go mainstream. Mainstream will go Tech,” he says in the track “Love Me Tomorrow.”
Still, the psycho-trip of All 6’s and 7’s is bound to be Tech’s most commercially successful album, and rightfully so. While his success as an independent rapper is admirable, he kneads a schizophrenic feel into the album so you don’t know whether to be sympathetic or scared.
A couple tracks – “So Lonely” and “If I Could” – deal with Tech’s struggle for maintaining a family while on the road touring. Then he takes you to a darker corner of his head in tracks like “Am I a Psycho” where he explores that very question.
With 24 tracks, there are about 24 different styles of rap here with dozens of contributions from rappers and singers. In all honesty, Tech himself is still the highlight, orchestrating a compulsive array of soundscapes that reflects the inner struggles of his own head. You’ll need a lyric sheet to keep up to what he spits, but you don’t even need to listen word for word. Most of the time, you can feel it in the masterfully crafted beats and in the passion of his delivery.
Tech N9ne has remained level-headed and talented through 12 albums and has yet to explode into the mainstream. But after listen to this album you’ll realize the recurring line in “Worldwide Choppers” is true: “I’m light years ahead of my peers.”
