(Originally published on www.411mania.com/music)
It was a telling moment for me in late 2001, as I took a seat in one of the squishy fold-back chairs in my orthodontist's office. Through the radio came Staind's inescapable, turn of the century hit, "It's Been a While" and the forty-something-year-old adjusting my mouth of metal, started singing along word for word-- he knew the damn song.
If it's uncool for your parents to like something you like, then the orthodontic seal of approval is almost unspeakable. The edgy foursome that screamed, "parents suck- let me be myself!" better than anyone was a thing of the past; the guys had found their sensitive side and everyone knew it...
Staind weren't really lame after this breakthrough, but they certainly took a more commercial approach to their future works. They were still the same angst-ridden, soul-searching rockers they had always been, but with a little less crunch and a lot more mush.
www.rollingstonemagazine.com
Of course, the critics bemoaned their consistent lack of progress observed on these more recent outings (i.e. 2008's ironically honest release, The Illusion of Progress), but this seemed to be a slap the group was all too willing to slough off.
Well, guess what?
It now seems Aaron Lewis is, indeed, doing something different. I don't know where all those critics were when theThe Monkey's Paw was published (a short horror story classic, famous for its opening line, "Be careful what you wish for, you may receive it..."), but they wanted change, and they damn well got it.
If it's uncool for your parents to like something you like, then the orthodontic seal of approval is almost unspeakable. The edgy foursome that screamed, "parents suck- let me be myself!" better than anyone was a thing of the past; the guys had found their sensitive side and everyone knew it...
Staind weren't really lame after this breakthrough, but they certainly took a more commercial approach to their future works. They were still the same angst-ridden, soul-searching rockers they had always been, but with a little less crunch and a lot more mush.
www.rollingstonemagazine.com
Of course, the critics bemoaned their consistent lack of progress observed on these more recent outings (i.e. 2008's ironically honest release, The Illusion of Progress), but this seemed to be a slap the group was all too willing to slough off.
Well, guess what?
It now seems Aaron Lewis is, indeed, doing something different. I don't know where all those critics were when theThe Monkey's Paw was published (a short horror story classic, famous for its opening line, "Be careful what you wish for, you may receive it..."), but they wanted change, and they damn well got it.
He's a dad now, he's toured countless times over ("I wear my Red Sox hat around the world with pride" - "Massachusetts"), he's seen the good and the bad, and, above all, realized that life doesn't suck. It's a startling conclusion few would have ever expected the solemn singer to reach, but what exactly does that mean for him, at least, on a musical level?
Many artists that dwell on the darker depths of human emotion face a sort of identity crisis once they begin actually enjoying themselves. After his recent marriage, even Trent Reznor felt the need to clear the air of gloomy expectation. This isn't to say that his new stuff with How To Destroy Angels is a ray of sunshine and jellybeans, but the good times can certainly be just as influential to an artist as the bad.
www.metalsucks.com
So with the formalities of semi-objective "reviewership" out of the way (that almost sounds like a word...), here's the deal: the degree to which you may or may not enjoy Lewis' latest endeavor, might actually depend more on your enjoyment/tolerance for country music than it does your respect for the man or his main gig. This isn't Staind at the barbecue and this isn't Aaron Lewis with a hint of country seasoning; this is country music.
"The Story Never Ends" makes this immediately clear with a twangy guitar intro as inviting as the sights and sounds of your neighborhood Cracker Barrel. Lewis sings over his gentle acoustic with the mindset of a man staring down forty, ripe with nostalgia and longing.
This is where i belong
Where my daughters go to school
Where opinions are strong
And my amendment rights
Keep me safe at night
Where my neighbors are my friends
And the story never ends
"The Story Never Ends," as well as its sister track, "Massachusetts," are exactly the kind of ma-teur pieces a "grown up" musician is critically expected to produce. They're earnest and inoffensive, but decently-written all the same. I don't know, maybe I'll appreciate them more when I'm older...
However, the money track here is the acclaimed single, "Country Boy." Despite being ever forthright with its influences, the track carries a tasty Lynyrd Skynyrd-like Southern rock lick that might just be enough to win over those a little apprehensive about the change of direction. It is curious, though, that Lewis deems himself a "country boy," despite growing up in Springfield (granted- certain areas of Western Mass are a little out there). Maybe he's a Southerner at heart.
Anyone getting a bald, tatted, Robert Downey Jr. vibe here?
Upbringings aside, the biggest peculiarity in the song (especially the standard version) is the conservative stream of consciousness Lewis spouts toward its end. After discussing his humble history and dealings with the industry guys who tried to steer him wrong, he gets into a whole lot of stuff one would hardly expect the rocker to sing about. The full-length version ends with a puzzling monologue that sounds as if it were spoken from the mouth of a man sharing more than a few common genes with George Dubya.
I love the way it is now,
And anybody that tries to change it has to come through me,
That should be all of our attitudes,
Cause this is America,
And a country boys good enough for me, son.
Yeah ... not really sure what to make of that...
But anyway, there are somethings here that might please the sceptic. "Vicious Circles" feels like an extension of Staind's more recent work with an overt singer/songwriter leaning. It's a direct ballad of love and longing on the road (much of the EP is lyrically rooted in the singer's feelings of homesickness) that could appeal to many a listener.
The EP also contains a reworking of Staind's "Tangled Up In You." The song was a standout on the group's last release (one of the few) and that distinction holds true here. Lewis gives the track the down home treatment as he exchanges the stings for dangling, country-fried leads and an soulful guest performance by Alexa Carter.
Country is (for better or worse) pretty big right now and if there's ever been a time for rockers to experiment with the style, 2011 is as good a time as any to do so. Over the years, contemporaries like Kid Rock and Uncle Kracker have had surprising cross-over success with their break into this scene, so it only makes sense that Lewis should find similar favor in this move.
www.allmusic.com
Of course, if you're an alt-rock fan, plain and simple, there's really never a good time for your favorite artist to go country on you...
2 out of 5 devilsticks
Pretty good. A couple of decent numbers. Shame he couldn't stretch it to a full-length disc! Better than I thought it would be. Read my full review of 'Town Line' here!
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