Goo Goo Dolls

Something For The Rest Of Us

Written by: PP on 30/09/2010 05:31:57

Goo Goo Dolls in 2010 sound more or less exactly as you'd expect them to. As seasoned veterans in the mainstream rock scene, they're aligning closer and closer to mainstream pop rock, a more chilled out and relaxed format from their post-grunge years from 2002's "Gutterflower" and before. Still no new "Iris" or "Slide" equivalent songs, though a few tracks come pretty close on their ninth studio album overall, the first in more than four years.

The record is a safe bet for continued mainstream success, but yet decades of songwriting experience shines through each and every song. No one can fault the tracks on "Something For The Rest Of Us" for not being solid pop rock songs, as they offer plenty more substance than your average one hit wonder pop band today, and in terms of repeat value, a hell of a lot more. Opening track "Sweetest Lie" alone is enough to carry the album far beyond your regular john doe band, emitting a late 90s Oasis-esque arena rock vibe all around. This one will be in the radios for a while, that's for sure.

The album is divided roughly into two song categories. Type A consists of Keane-esque pop ballads, whilst type B caters towards those missing the grungier side to the band, when they used to rock the stages instead of lulling the listener into a calm, relaxed state. See "Now I Hear" or "Say You're Free" for examples of type B. I think it's no secret which style we here at Rockfreaks.net prefer, but that being said, the ballads are good enough in their own right to prevent me from saying anything bad about them, just check out "As I Am" if you don't believe me.

What makes Goo Goo Dolls so successful after 23 years as a band is precisely that, the enormous time these guys have spent writing and recording songs of different style. They simply know what works and what doesn't, which is why most of their albums post 1993 have functioned as a constant stream of quality mainstream rock music. In a time where emotion and feeling is almost completely absent from mainstream releases, it takes a band like Goo Goo Dolls to demonstrate how to write popular music that appeals to millions, and still make it sound heartfelt and intimate enough to enjoy even for those of us who swear to the power of the underground.

7

Download: Sweetest Lie, Now I Hear, Home, Say You're Free
For the fans of: Oasis, U2, Matchbox Twenty, Lifehouse
Listen: Myspace

Release date 28.08.2010
Warner Bros

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