Nitro1515 wrote:GSRLessard14 wrote:So let's hear some of your song by song reviews.
Alright here we go
Dreamgirl - Very good song. The breakdown and the ending makes it with Roi's clarinet work and then the sax and strings ending is pretty sweet. Lyrics are definitely cheesy at times, but I think Dave pulls it off.
Stand Up - Another good one. Eventhough they say Stand Up a million times it works. Roi is all over this one. The breakdown is awesome, kinda like Kit Kat Jam. Lots of potential for LeRoi to really tear up the ending live.
Intro - I thought this was going to be better after hearing the clip. When it picks up for those 50 seconds its terrific, but they should have elaborated on it. It just kinda ends up going nowhere.
AB - Been discussed to death.
Smooth Rider - Worst track on the album. Carter does absolutely nothing , the lyrics are boring which is fitting because so is the music.
Old Dirt Hill - I actually like this song. Has a summer feel to it. Boyds plucking is perfect, and I actually like Carter singing a little lead on this one. The bridge at the 3 minute mark is probably my favorite part of the song.
Everybody Wake Up - Not a big fan of this. The intro sounds like a rip off of the Kronos Quartets The Stone Intro on BTCS. Then when the rest of the band kicks in, the song sounds too upbeat to fit that depressing intro. Lyrics are weak, and they could have done a lot more on the jam at the end. I just don't like the electric feel to this song.
Out Of My Hands - Great track. Pure emotion no production effects needed on it. Lyrics are excellent, the piano work is perfect. Just a solid track.
Hello Again - Good job sucking the life out of this song. I don't really like the effect they have on Dave's voice, and the whole feel to it is just "eh". And to make matters worse they cut it off at the 3:52 mark taking away what makes DMB so great, their soloing.
Lousiana Bayou - Good tune over all. Lyrics can get kinda repetitive in the verse, but I do like the whole "its a shame to lose your way as a child/running wild," theme of the song. Boyd lays down a solid jam at the end. And we know this one is good live from Jazzfest the other night.
Stolen Away On 55th & 3rd - Can you say disappointment? From the clip that I heard I thought this would easily be my favorite song. Too bad it just ends up going nowhere, is there even a chorus on this track? Excellent sax work by Roi is wasted, I love what he is doing in the background but Dave's lyrics are pretty much on repeat.
You Might Die Trying - Excellent song. It follows the classic DMB formula of Dave laying down a cool opening riff, the rest of the band jumps in and then Roi and Boyd tear it up at the end. The lyrics are solid as well. A lot of people have a problem with Carters drum effect but I think it works within the context of the song.
Steady As We Go - I thought this song was going to be a hell of a lot better. From what people were saying from the listening parties it had classic written all over it. Instead, the lyrics are sappy and it just doesn't do anything for me even when the whole band jumps in at the end.
Hunger For The Great Light - Overall decent. Sounds like a Beatles song. I like the middle of the song when it gets rockin with Stefan on the electric. Lyrics are a bit dirty but that never really bothered me. The string reprise at the end is pretty cool.
I guess overall this album is alright. Its better than Everyday. At first listen I think I thought it was better than what it actually is. There is no real substance to some these songs, most just kinda go nowhere. And Dave needs to work on his lyrics instead of just singing whatever comes to his mind like he said in the first video clip off the album site. I remember in the video from the studio on BTCS Dave was in NYC looking out the window on a rainy night writing lyrics to Pig and Crush. This time around he took a line that his producer said "Stand Up" and wrote a whole song around it, kinda lame. I'm just a little disappointed by the whole thing, I really thought they were going to make something special, but it does not seem to be the case. Some tracks I really enjoy, but others I just want to skip over which I never wanted to do before with the exception of Everyday. My saving grace is that they release more of the b-sides sometime in the future because I loved what I heard at the end of clips 3 and 4 on the album site.
