|
What’s the 4-1-1?
After being dropped by their major label, Collective Soul regroups after four
years to do it all on their own. Youth was written and produced by the group
and released on their own label.
Genre
Rock / pop-rock
The Good
The opening track “Better Now” seems to be the band comeback anthem.
Led by charging power chords, Roland and company let us know that despite the
setbacks, they’ve put themselves back together and it’s time to spread
the word. A chuckled a bit when I heard the opening trippy synthesizer effects
on “There’s A Way”, but when the meaty guitars and catchy chorus
came in, I realized they blended well together. “How Do You Love” is
an acoustic/electric hybrid that emphasizes that sometimes you don’t realize
how much people care for you. Roland has a knack for bring out emotions with
his soulful tone. The repetitive riffs and guitar licks on “Him” helps
drive the message of cheating home. If it’s been done to you, you certainly
wouldn’t let the other person forget about it.
A sweet guitar lick dominates the energetic “Feels Like”. I was
surprised to find that the CDs first single “Counting the Days” was
the eighth track on the disc. Usually they’re near the beginning. At
least you’ll enjoy the musical journey to get to it. The thick, catchy
opening riff does sound a little like Metallica’s “King Nothing”,
but it’s not a duplicate. The guitar tone on the solo is just awesome. “General
Attitude” combines a funky groove with subtle muted riffing, and “Satellite” is
another classic Collective Soul ballad. The Bad
Nothing
The Verdict
It’s great to have Collective Soul back. I missed their catchy little melodies
and witty little stories. Even though their latest CD was self-produced and financed,
the quality is top notch. Did You Know?
Collective Soul had 19 different singles reach the Billboard charts during a
7 year span.
Rating:  out
of 5
Related Reviews:
Collective Soul - From the Ground Up EP
--George Dionne
|
COLLECTIVE
SOUL
