Today, I'm saving myself the hassle of having to explain why I find what will be a highly praised album to be so unbelievably boring by instead turning to the singles that have been coming out recently, and seeing what they have to offer. There's quite a bit to talk about.
Weezer - Hero
"Van Weezer" is yet another album that has been delayed, and after hearing this song, I'm surprisingly disappointed in that. I have claimed Weezer is dead to me several times, and yet they keep resurrecting themselves. Everything we know about this album fits in with what I hate about Weezer, but it also gives them a direction far less annoying than their usual fad-pandering. At least when Weezer turns up the guitars, it buries the worst aspects of Rivers' songwriting. This is still a far cry from anything I would call great, but it's far easier for me to take than anything the band has done since "Maladroit". It's that sliver of hope that keeps me from doing what I should have long ago, driving a stake through Weezer's ugly heart.
Leauxx - The Fix
Here's one I've been waiting for. Leauxx is the new guise of the voice behind the debut Letters From The Fire album, which is one of my favorite mainstream/alternative rock records of recent years. She is now back with this song, which opens new doors while also feeling familiar. She masterfully takes the pain and resonance of emo, forges it into a blend of alternative rock and pop, and makes it sound completely natural. Her voice is sharp enough to sting, and her melodies soft enough to comfort the wounds. Flying free hasn't dulled her edge one bit.
Creeper - All My Friends
Weezer's delay is a minor disappointment, while Creeper's is a major one. With the fourth single from the upcoming record, Creeper only makes the wait harder. The four songs are all wildly different, and point to a record that is going to be a kaleidoscope of sounds and stories coming from the old days of glam. The two ballads on their first record were beautiful additions to their emo/punk, and this ballad follows suit. It's little more than a piano and voice, but there's a haunting emotion to the delivery we don't hear very often. Not many singers can truly emote through song, but Will Goulding can, and does. It's a simple song, but a great one.
Within Temptation - Entertain You
I was one of the minority that enjoyed "Resist". It was certainly a turn towards the pop and mainstream, but it was classy and so well-written I could hardly find fault. That's not going to be a problem with this song. Look, I grew up a pop fan, and I still love a lot of rock that leans in that direction, but there's a right way and a wrong way to do it. This is the wrong way. It's not that Within Temptation is pandering to what is popular, but rather that they have dumbed down their music so much, and I'm sensitive to stupidity. They have gone from symphonic metal to riffs that come straight off a Five Finger Death Punch record. There are mediocre male vocals that don't add anything to the melody. Sharon still delivers a solid hook, but her greatness is now housed in a pine box instead of a jeweled case. I'm not disappointed because it's pop, I'm disappointed because they're tapping into brain-dead rock for their inspiration.
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