Word: songe
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...their new album, seems to be trying for a folk-rock-ballad like quality, with an overuse of the harmonica-lead guitar combination. In most instances, this tactic fails. "Was," "Oh Well" and "Losing Kind" have the sound of recycled Bon Jovi B-sides. The lead guitar spurs the song's movement with redundant and basic chords, while the bassline is a simple mirror of the lead. Shepherd's vocals appear aimless, as if he is trying to establish an aura of a laid-back rock band playing over the loudspeaker of a busy restaurant...
...album opens with the radio-friendly "Down." The hard guitar riffs and big rock sound, combined with Weiland's whiny, albeit pleasantly grating, voice conjure memories of the early '90s rock. The power chords and simplistic drop D chords make the song sound vaguely like "Big Empty," the major hit from Purple and The Crow soundtrack...
...album loses steam with the next two tracks. The songs inspires the interpretation that Weiland and the rest of the band, after discovering they can still play, do not know what to do with this discovery. "Heaven and Hot Rod" sounds like a weaker track off of thrash-heavy Core, while "Pruno," with its misplaced melancholy overlaying an excessively melodic and syncopated bass line, is reminiscent of a bad Sting song...
...hauntingly melodious songs, "Church on Tuesday" is a tremendous treat. The song recalls favorites such as Purple's "Vasoline" and "Pretty Penny", with the framing of Weiland's somber vocals around Dean Deleo's masterful lead guitar. The album, after "Church on Tuesday," becomes the record that a well-versed STP was waiting for. "Sour Girl" is another almost-ballad, revealing the band's ability to mix pop melodies with a dark and gloomy bass line. The band is still capable of experimentation, especially on the track "No Way Out," but one wishes that STP had been riskier with distortion...
...However, the album does not leave one feeling cheated. A song less typical of STP's musical range, "Atlanta," rewards the patient listener. "Atlanta" weaves Weiland's vocals with beautiful accompaniment. The sound of the words in harmony with the rest of the band creates a pleasant, self-reflective surprise. One can only hope that more songs like "Atlanta" come out of the studio...