(DGC)
Anticipation is a strange and powerful thing: Not only can it make newspaper reporters cleave at each others throats to grasp a prerelease copy, but also create wild expectations, forcing a virgin work to measure up to completely arbitrary standards. There had been no question: Beck's new one was supposed to be great, and now, with its release, there can be no doubt that it is.
Sea Change can be called any number of things, from a wrenching document of a breakup to a cosmic reinvention of country music (a less genteel reviewer might dub it OK Lapsteel), but it is, undoubtedly, one of Beck's finest records, and destined to be one of the best of the year. Just as he followed the sonic majesty of Odelay with the understated Mutations, he now chases the sex-doll partyin' of Midnite Vultures with just over 50 minutes of beautiful, easy introspection.
Sea Change opens with a simple two-chord strum (\The Golden Age"") which builds, over four minutes, into a completely affecting symphony of glockenspiel and swirling analog distortion that never reaches superfluity. It's followed by the shambling ""Paper Tiger,"" featuring a string quartet that discreetly follows Beck's words like a shadow, lurching out in swells without warning. The arrangements continue to twist and develop towards Sea Change's apex, ""Sunday Sun,"" a heartbreaking piece of acoustic/electric psychedelia in the vein of The Beatles' ""Tomorrow Never Knows.""
Sea Change's obvious forebears are the wildly uneven One Foot In The Grave and Mutations, but it's truly a new level, marked by Beck's maturation from songwriter to singer'his delivery has never been as emotional and evocative as it is on Sea Change's best moments.
Beck has always been able to balance out his innate ironic side with genuine earnestness but this time around, completely stripped of unnecessary pretense (socioacoustic window dressing), he's made his most consistent, moving and fully realized album.
(Three Points/Elektra)
When hard rock Swedish Christian band Blindside signed to P.O.D.'s newly created Three Points label, many fans worried about the possibility of their sound and message being simplified for mainstream release. Most Christian rock bands trying to go mainstream inevitably drop the religious content from their lyrics'or they fail, never gaining fan momentum. Blindside's Silence treads the thin line between selling out and remaining loyal to their roots; luckily, this balancing act produces a fine Christian hard rock album that stands a good chance at mainstream success.
The first noticeable thing about Silence is that all 13 tracks have a very similar and indistinguishable sound. Obviously made to minimize risk, the result produces an entire disc that is fun to listen to, fun to sing along with, but also sounds like any number of other rock bands that are on the radio today. Filled with catchy hooks and driving riffs, each and every song is enjoyable.
While the musical quality of the album is enjoyable but certainly not unique, the element that Blindside excels at is the emotionally charged nature of every song. Christian Lindskog's lead vocals are far reaching, tugging at the listener's emotions until the breaking point. Songs like ""Pitiful"" (the first single, finding airtime on MTV2), ""Sleepwalking"" and ""Painting"" are irresistible and moving. And, like most of the album, they are not markedly Christian in nature until you start to interpret the lyrics. However, by far, the standout is the title track. Closing the album, ""Silence"" is an eerie and echoing call that will assuredly stay in your head for days'and for longtime fans, shows that the band has certainly not abandoned their Christian roots on their way to commercial success.
(Dreamworks Records)
Two years after their debut album, Papa Roach has released their sophomore effort, Lovehatetragedy. When Infest became popular from the success of ""Last Resort"" and ""Dead Cell,"" most rock/metal fans agreed that while Papa Roach had some catchy songs, the disc was primarily filled with the generic alt-rock-punk-metal that has become so popular in the last several years. Sadly, Lovehatetragedy shows no progression or growth, leaving Papa Roach as just another genre-jumping rock band that lacks an identity of its own.
While the album will certainly please fans of Infest, it doesn't offer anything new. The group retains the churning, guitar driven sound and the generic pseudo-emotional lyrics. ""Life Is A Bullet"" and ""She Loves Me Not"" are the most likely candidates to reach massive airplay. However, there isn't a single track that is as catchy as ""Last Resort""'which most people would call a good thing, considering how overplayed popular tracks have become.
Luckily, two tracks show that Roach does possess the ability to reach beyond the contrived; ""Black Clouds"" displays front man Jacoby Shaddix at his best, emoting a convincing level of frustration and depression with heavy, pulsing guitar pushing the song along at a moderate pace.
The title track ultimately showcases Roach's ability and ambition with lyrics. Obviously an emotional response to Sept. 11, Shaddix wails, ""It's sad it took war just to bring us together/I believe in love/I believe in forever."" The legitimate sentiment and emotion plays well against the great guitar leads.
Ultimately, the album shows promise. However, Papa Roach's attempts to cater to punk, nu-metal and mainstream pop crowds result in a largely generic alt-punk-rock sound. Except for those who thoroughly enjoyed their first album, most listeners will find only one or two tracks worth a listen here.
