I love the first two Daughtry albums. They are mainstream, pop for sure, and slick as hell, but they're also packed with great songs and melodies. They don't rock the hardest, but I don't care about that. They rock enough, and they sound amazing. But along the way, once 'bands' like Imagine Dragons took over rock, Daughtry shifted gears and tried to make their own demure, tuneless, rhythm-centric album. I don't like that style of rock to begin with, and I certainly didn't like Daughtry's take on it.
But perhaps this is the year of reverting to form. Maybe soul-searching was done last year, and some artists decided they were happier being who they are, embracing the fans they already have, rather than trying to chase down new people who wouldn't give them the time of day without their groveling.
"Dearly Beloved" sees Daughtry going back to the early rock sound, with a few updates. His voice is made for this stuff, and considering he and his co-writers are capable of doing it as well as anyone, it only reinforces what a terrible decision it was to try to be hip with the trends. The early singles "World On Fire" and "Heavy Is The Crown" find the band in their comfort zone, pumping out what are essentially guitar heavy pop songs. They have enough crunch and swagger to still rock, but the big melodies and huge vocals carry the day. I won't say it sounds timeless, but it isn't dated the way "Cage To Rattle" is going to be, and already is.
"Desperation" does start things out on a slow note, with more emphasis on the drum beat in the lethargic verses than on building a big and melodic chorus. It doesn't fall all the way down the rabbit hole, but it doesn't set the stage the way a proper opener should. That said, it does set the stage for this album, because as you listen to the rest of the songs, it becomes clear this isn't entirely a return to form, but rather a hybrid combining the past and the present. Songs like "Changes Are Coming" and the title track attempt to fuse drum loops and the tone of the dark period with more of the big arena choruses of the early records. Does trying to please everyone necessitate no one leaves happy?
That's the question we have to answer, and I wish I could tell you one way or the other. On the one hand, there are certainly enough melodic moments and great vocals to make me happy with the record. On the other hand, many of the pieces leading up to those bits feel as inauthentic as that last record did. This all stems from the fact that in the mainstream, what constitutes rock music isn't what rock ever was. That makes it nearly impossible to try to stay relevant while maintaining your identity. If you want to sound like yourself, you're old-fashioned. If you want to keep up with the times, you're losing your religion.
I suppose what I'm saying is that "Dearly Beloved" is the best album Daughtry could make at this point, so long as he hasn't given up on having rock radio hits. The reality of the situation is that the success he had early on isn't possible today, even with those same songs, so a change was necessary. He realized he went too far, and has corrected course. It still doesn't revert to the mean enough for my taste, but it's a big improvement, and it's all I could have asked for right now.
The Wallflowers have a song called "Nearly Beloved", which I later borrowed for my own use, and that's the most appropriate way for me to think of this record. It's nearly back to being something I can love, but it stops short of my arm's reach. Does that explain it?
No comments:
Post a Comment