you introduced me to Blue October way back in 2009 (i think) with the album "Approaching Normal". Very decent album I must say.
I haven't heard this new album yet and as a general rule, I dont like to get my first listen of an album from youtube, so I will locate this album and let you know what I think of it
Welcome Magic! I'm glad you found the "Approaching Normal" album to be a good listen and maybe you'll like this even more! I'm glad the first song has you guys hooked and perhaps dare I say excited! It makes me anticipate adding the next couple songs for those of you who are fine with previewing through youtube and grooveshark. I'll try to update it tonight!
The next song "The Money Tree" song starts out in a trance like state as Justin recounts his state of mind regarding the changes he started to make and he states them as if he was giving a voice directly from his boggled mind rather than from his mouth. As his "focus" starts to be on his "beautiful girl" then the song starts to develop it's melody and focus too. The sound of the synthesized plucking strings, static beats and 80's flavor that Kajagoogoo, Men At Work and Flock Of Seagulls would approve of especially during the last minutes breakdown with the sweeping strings leading to the synthesisergasm. Justins knowledge for vocal rhythm more than make up for the flatness of his vocal range and he's so masterful at wrapping around a melody. My favorite vocal part comes at 2:40-2:55.
The subject matter hasn't delved into the worse stages yet and it seems to be at the stage where Justin was trying to make his turnaround and thought there was still hope. It's clear that the fighting had started and Justin was on defense with his wife at this point and making efforts for the idea of a family for his daughter. It's an amusing laundry list of financial assists he's given his wife which makes her out to be a gold digger of the worst variety. The critique of his wifes money grubbing ways here and dispersed throughout the album would make itself at home within any Hip-Hop album. That won't be the only hip-hop influenced part of the album as Justin's always been a fan of the genre. More on that later. True or not it's entertaining to read what is my favorite verse:
"With two houses, both cars
I paid off your ****ing credit card debt
Did you already forget?
You threat and threat and threat
Just ****ing leave. Find a man who will put up with you"
Ouch!
While the song slings plenty of mud at his ex like the best writers Justin also pens his own flaws even giving his wife credit for being a great Mom to their daughter and acknowledges his absence. Once again he pleas to mend there problems for the sake of a family for his daughter despite their own flaws. The unfortunate event of doing what you have to do to support a family and having that same thing be what breaks it is a tragic and constant theme throughout the album. This song was a great track to pick up the pace from the last and start developing the story throughout that "The Feel Again (Stay) only alluded to. It's also great in it's own right with catchy hooks that easily attach themselves to the listeners brain once the music stops!
[GROOVESHARK]32371824[/GROOVESHARK]
I'm standing on an open world
I've got to try so hard for myself
Now including the ones that I love
I call my family
It's not hard when your focus is a beautiful girl
A brand new baby. She's a baby girl
And yeah, she's a cutie like her mommy
Uh, yes, yeah, she looks like her mommy
We both know who we are
And I'm not changing a thing I've never changed before
If loving me is work, I'm not a job to take
I think we're heading for the crazy making heartbreak
I'm wondering why I'm sitting here alone again
Why you always crush me
Why it's never easy
Easy, easy, easy. It's not easy
This is you. This is me
You won't be a part of what we need to be
Not for me. For the future of us three
For our daughter, college, family
Sudden health emergencies
You think it's easy picking money off my money tree?
With two houses, both cars
I paid off your ****ing credit card debt
Did you already forget?
You threat and threat and threat
Just ****ing leave. Find a man who will put up with you
We both know who we are
And I'm not changing a thing I've never changed before
If loving me is work, I'm not a job to take
I think we're heading for the crazy making heartbreak
I can't help but think of how great you are with the baby daughter
Half the time a single mother
When I go away, it is so you can always stay home
And let your baby grow. Bring her up the right way
You never take it that way
We both know who we are
And I'm not changing
I need support, not a slap in the face
You have to trust me or I'm sure it'll blow up in your face
I'm in love with such an angel and she doesn't even know
We've taught each other a thousand ways we don't even know
We both know who we are
And I'm not changing a thing I've never changed before
If loving me is work, I'm not a job to take
I think we're heading for the crazy making heartbreak
I can't help but think of how good you are with the daughter
Half the time a single mother
When I go away, it is so you can always stay home
And let your baby grow. Bring her up the right way
I must be the one who has his daughter's future at heart
As you're the one who never wants a family apart
We both know that together we can only believe
That if we could be, there should be no reason to leave
I don't think there's a weak track on the album dude! It's a very poppy album but it's easy to expand on each song because each one has a different vibe and the whole album is a fusion of different genres.
You played "The Feel Again (Stay)" for me a little while ago, Sooty and as you remember I absolutely loved it. Like Magic I don't like to give albums first listens off of Youtube. (I mean, I just listened to Alice Cooper's "I'll Bite Your Face Off" from "Welcome 2 My Nightmare" yesterday and that song has been out for a while now.) For now I'll just stick with the one song sample that I've already listened to until I pick up the album (which I have the fullest intention of doing when I can). So I'll just leave you with saying that this is a very deep and insightful review and I'm sure this album will take on a much more profound meaning as I listen to it after learning what emotional events that inspired the songs.
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True or not it's entertaining to read what is my favorite verse:
