I bet you were thinking my first post of 2012 would be either a look-back at 2011, a look-ahead to 2012, or maybe something about current events like the escalating tensions between Iran or the GOP Iowa caucus or Obama’s recess appointments. Nope, guess again. I’m still in vacation mode and not feeling like getting back into the current events quagmire quite yet. There’s plenty of time for all that stuff. I’m starting 2012 with an album review of Daughtry’s “Break The Spell” and it’s a bit longer than my normal album review because of some extra stuff upfront, but it’s the usual formula of artist/album introduction followed by the album overall, song-by-song, and wrap-up.
Yes, this is the Chris Daughtry of American Idol fame, the one who somehow didn’t win Season 5 (as with Adam Lambert coming up just short in Season 8, I still have no idea what America was thinking, but not winning the show is probably going to be good for both of them). After placing 4th and turning down an invitation to become the new lead singer of Fuel, Daughtry formed his own band and they just released their third album called “Break The Spell.” It came out in late November and was a Christmas gift.
The mood of the album is very up and down, as evidenced by a swing from extreme lows in “Gone Too Soon” to highs in “Louder Than Ever”. Using those two songs, we also see the album moves through time to explore both alternative timelines as well as the actual timeline (past, present, and future). Even a couple song titles like “Renegade” and “Crazy” take us back in time because it’s hard not to think of the Styx and Aerosmith songs of the same names, though this is probably unintentional. There are also numerous references to cars or driving/moving, so it’s not just about traveling through time, but also space. Motion seems to be the general theme, be it through time or space or on the happiness/sadness spectrum. Also, quite a few of the songs focus on love.
This is a very interesting album in that there’s a little something for everybody and, even though it feels like it’s all over the place in a few ways, it comes together. It’s a bit lighter and slower in sound than their previous albums overall while still having some higher-energy songs. Indeed, you can hear elements from throughout the past literally 50 years of rock music on this album (fifty is not a typo), which fits with that time and space traveling feel.
And, now we go song to song.
“Renegade” is a great start and, like previous albums, they storm right out of the gate and, though not my favorite song on the album, still solid nevertheless. It’s important to start strong, otherwise listeners will tune out (it’s probably not as much of an issue in this era of cherry-picking songs over the interwebs instead of buying the whole album – or buying the whole CD in the case of dinosaurs like me).
“Crawling Back To You” slows down at the start and then picks back up hard into the chorus. Like the previous song, it’s not my favorite and still solid. It’s a good radio track that showcases Daughtry’s broad musical and vocal talents quite nicely. They did well here at melding the mood of the music and lyrics, literally creating a crawl-like sound in the main verses.
“Outta My Head” is, for me, one of the weaker songs on the album. It just didn’t click for me. That said, I will credit them for trying something new and creative while shaking up the sound. One of the worst mistakes musicians can make is to create an entire album of all similar-sounding songs. An album without diversity bores the listener and makes the songs blur together. This is generally not an issue for Daughtry and isn’t here, either.
“Start Of Something Good” slows us down and it’s one of my favorites on the album, more than making up for the previous tune. It hits the motion theme and touches on the crossroads. It resonates by balancing the general and specific, thereby allowing listeners to tailor the song to their own experiences.
“Crazy”’ is another one that doesn’t click for me. It’s sandwiched between two good songs and does a good job of reaccelerating the sound following the previous song. It has a good and catchy sound to it, but it doesn’t resonate with me like some others do.
“Break The Spell” is a fun one. Similar to “Crawling Back To You,” the music is crafted very carefully to create a certain vibe, here slightly mystical, magical, or spellbound. Also, the (at times) fast and hard pace echoes the energy one would use to try to resist a spell and the frustration at being unable to do so.
“We’re Not Gonna Fall” is a motivational and uplifting song. It’s simultaneously determined and light in sound. The song reminds me of something we would hear while watching a more inspirational show such as “The Biggest Loser”.
“Gone Too Soon” is a haunting song wondering about what might have been after the loss of a child (likely unborn or very young, but that’s speculation on my part). Obviously, it’s not exactly a happy song, as it’s the low and the alternative timeline I mentioned earlier. It’s a powerful song, easily one of my favorites on the album.
“Losing My Mind” speeds things up a bit again and continues the travel theme, this time meeting a woman on a train. I found this one particularly catchy mainly because of the, “One part angel and one part danger” lyric. It’s a fun one, too. This one isn’t quite in the top tier with my favorites on the album, but it’s close.
“Rescue Me” slows it back down somewhat and it’s another timeline song, but this is more of a crossroads song than a reflection. It’s one of the weaker songs on the album, in my opinion. As with “Crazy,” it’s sandwiched between two good songs.
“Louder Than Ever” is another of my favorites and kicks the tempo back up into the finish as a song on the radio recalls the energy of young love. If the last song was a crossroad, this one is definitely a reflection. I like the pace and the energy of this song, plus the lyrics resonate. The upbeat tempo fits very well with the energy of youth.
“Spaceship” is a solid end to the album and a natural follow-up to the previous song. It’s a stark contrast to the light and slow endings for both of their previous albums. It’s also a very uplifting song about hope for the future and wonder about what else is out there.
Here’s the bottom line. If you liked either/both of Daughtry’s first two albums and/or you’re a fan of some of the no-frills rock we’ve heard over the past literally half-century, you’ll probably like this one.
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