Crossing the Rubicon

There are albums that will take the listener to a place in their mind. If the artists did their job right the album will take the listener to a different place, helping them escape reality for a few moments. Some albums will make you feel like you're in a field or at sea, while others make you feel like you just walked into a pub, I'm looking at you Flogging Molly. Then there are albums that put you into the heart of a busy city, with all its noises and emotions. The Sounds album, Crossing the Rubicon, does just that, placing you in a metropolis of music and sound.

This Swedish alternative rock outfit comes at you with music that will make you think of Blondie and The Cars. The band formed back in 1998 and has three albums out of which Crossing the Rubicon is the latest.

The Sounds stepped out on their own for this album, leaving their producers behind to do it themselves. This step is risky and most band fumble and drop the ball when making the change, this is not the case with The Sounds. The album comes across as a well polished work, lacking little and offering a lot.

First up is "No One Sleeps While I'm Awake." Remember how I talked about this album taking you to a city, this track is the late night anthem of New York. The bass line is the traffic, the drums are the metro, the guitar and keyboards are the noise filtering out of the clubs, and the vocals are the lights left on at two in the morning, bright and clear. This song keeps pushing forward to the bridge where it lifts you in to a melodic guitar solo. The outro to the final chorus gives the song the final push to get it stuck in your head.

"Dorchester Hotel" is the second track to look at. The one thing that will stick out to you instantly is the end of the verses with the bare vocals calling out like voices in the night. This song is an ever moving machine, constantly moving and building till the end of each verse where there is a slight break and the listener is left with only the voices. The constant guitar rift in the back gives this song a haunting feel through out.

The third song up is "Underground." An anthem to the youth of the city, this song urges forward motion. Much more open than the last two mentioned, the song leaves room for the vocals to shine and they do once you get to the chorus. The entire sound lies open and does not try to fill itself with useless noise, which serves it amazingly well.

Finally there is "The Only Ones." Opening with a simple piano melody, the song feels almost like a tribute. The vocals and the piano are the only voices speaking for the first verse, as the chorus starts in the other voices add. The entire song is a slow process of growth, with each phrase adding more energy. The entire process climaxes around the end of the second chorus, with the bridge taking all the elements out except the piano and vocals again.

Crossing the Rubicon is and excellent album. From front to back it contains energy and more importantly purpose. Though it might seem a bit popish at times, all in all it makes for a great listen. It has been a while since this album came out so here is hoping the next album The Sounds puts out is even better.

Always Listening,

Nick

Crash Love

Evolution in music is a funny topic. While we would all love for our artists to stay the same way they were when they first hit the scene; we all know deep down we would get bored with them after a while. Change is not a bad thing when done right, please note that there are some bands that did it horribly wrong. Completely reinventing yourself for a new album is a horrible idea and you as a band will loose a lot of credibility if you go from being a punk band to a dance band. If a band grows over time, taking new risks each album to keep it interesting, that is evolution done right. For a good example please note AFI's new album Crash Love.

AFI is an alternative band from California that formed in 1991. The band has released eight albums over the past eighteen years, the last three being the most notable. The band has had a solid lineup since 1998 and has grown to be a force to be considered and honored.

This band shows what musical evolution done right sounds like. The band never completely changed their sound, though each album in their long discography is not exactly like the one before it or the one after it. Crash Love is the latest entry in AFI's ever growing list of excellence and the album has a lot of hype to live up to.

"Medicate" is the lead off single from the album, and for good reason. The song is like an overture, showing off everything the band does right. The guitar melody and the bass are prevalent but do not overpower the vocals which are strong and moving. The backup vocals provide the extra punch to the build up to the chorus that takes the song to the next level. The bridge is a melodic break that takes the listener to a slower, spookier place. The song finishes strong with a relapse into the chorus and a guitar solo to take the listener out of the fury.

Up next is "End Transmission." This song has a more storytelling, slow build feel to it. The verses are very open, with the guitar laying out completely and the bass and drums pushing forward with the vocals carrying the melody. The song then explodes into a melodic chorus with the guitar returning to back the vocals with some light flourishes. The bottom drops out for the bridge, leaving the listener suspended for a second, only to be picked back up and thrust head first back through the chorus. The song dies out with just the vocals and the drums leading out at the last second.

On a different note is the slow "Darling I Want To Destroy You." This song is a break from the fury to slow things down and show off the vocal and melodic strength of the band. The choruses have soaring vocals and guitar swells, with the verses having moving rifts and low, somber vocals. It is a nice way for the band to show that they can ease up and still create good music.

Finally is the song "Beautiful Thieves." A moving piece of music, the song's verses are eery points with the guitar rifts and bass line both providing the undertone for the vocals to tell the story. The choruses are a chance for the band to let loose and show off their group vocals and for the lead line to shine. The bridge is a quick trip and musical build that leads back into a strong chorus.

Crash Love has more to offer than these few songs. The entire album is a strong chapter in the ever growing book that is AFI's success. The album might hurt some fan's feelings since it is a change from Decemberunderground, but they should remember that it was a change from Sing The Sorrows. I would recommend you go pick this up, be you a long time fan of AFI or be you a fan of good music.

Always Listening,

Nick