GlassyLight
01/29/07, 07:56 PM
Blue October seems to be a band that polarizes people. Those who have only heard the singles on the radio such as "Hate Me" and "Calling You" seem to pigeonhole them in the same category as a Nine Days or other mid-90s pseudo-alterna-rock-balladeers. Those who have given them the benefit of the doubt seem to have an intense involvement with the band, perhaps fostered by the band's symbiotic live show. With "Foiled", they have somehow managed to engage both and further each pole's position.
Lead singer Justin Furstenfeld is a noted sufferer of schizophrenia, as is spectacularly chronicled on their full-length "Consent to Treatment" (the album that originally hooked me). On "Foiled", he has apparently gotten a grasp on his affliction, but all is still not right. For every line like "There's some kind of light at the end", there's another such as "Into the ocean/end it all". I've always found this dichotomy in his personality to be the most enduring part of Blue October, and it is in no short supply on "Foiled". Lyrically, the best moments come in the current single "Into the Ocean". The amount of detail gone into the description of drowning (literally and metaphorically) is quite affective, and I still can't stop listening to the song after several months of having the record. It's easily one of my favorite songs of 2006.
Musically, Blue October has laid off its reliance on the violin that seemed to almost be a crutch on the previous release "History for Sale". Much like AFI on "Decemberunderground", they've seemed to mash the essence of what got them their fans with a new wave/synthpop styling. Yeah, this is going to alienate some fans, but I personally applaud them for it. Better to try something new than rest on your laurels. For the most part, this different approach works, but does flop pretty hard on the song "X Amount of Words" which is easily the most embarrassing thing that Blue October has done. When not indulging their new-wave fetishes, they use tried-and-true Blue October methods such as the almost-nu-metal-but-thankfully-not rock songs ("What If We Could" and "Drilled A Wire Through My Cheek") to moderately successful results. They also bring in the ballads pretty fiercely on this one, with the only other cringe-inducing song being "Overweight". I know, two flops on one album should be a bad sign, but the rest of the album is so damned solid that I really do overlook the negatives those songs may bring.
In short, if you're looking for another raging rock album, Über-sensitive emo album, or even anything like Blue October's done before, you're looking in the wrong place. This is a document of a man trying to come to grips with himself, and it's not always pretty. Even though there are a few overly earnest songs on this album, do yourself a favor and check out some Blue October. I don't know if they're in this website's demographic, but dammit, they should be.
Songs to check out first:
"Into the Ocean"
"She's My Ride Home"
"Drilled a Wire Through My Cheek"
Lead singer Justin Furstenfeld is a noted sufferer of schizophrenia, as is spectacularly chronicled on their full-length "Consent to Treatment" (the album that originally hooked me). On "Foiled", he has apparently gotten a grasp on his affliction, but all is still not right. For every line like "There's some kind of light at the end", there's another such as "Into the ocean/end it all". I've always found this dichotomy in his personality to be the most enduring part of Blue October, and it is in no short supply on "Foiled". Lyrically, the best moments come in the current single "Into the Ocean". The amount of detail gone into the description of drowning (literally and metaphorically) is quite affective, and I still can't stop listening to the song after several months of having the record. It's easily one of my favorite songs of 2006.
Musically, Blue October has laid off its reliance on the violin that seemed to almost be a crutch on the previous release "History for Sale". Much like AFI on "Decemberunderground", they've seemed to mash the essence of what got them their fans with a new wave/synthpop styling. Yeah, this is going to alienate some fans, but I personally applaud them for it. Better to try something new than rest on your laurels. For the most part, this different approach works, but does flop pretty hard on the song "X Amount of Words" which is easily the most embarrassing thing that Blue October has done. When not indulging their new-wave fetishes, they use tried-and-true Blue October methods such as the almost-nu-metal-but-thankfully-not rock songs ("What If We Could" and "Drilled A Wire Through My Cheek") to moderately successful results. They also bring in the ballads pretty fiercely on this one, with the only other cringe-inducing song being "Overweight". I know, two flops on one album should be a bad sign, but the rest of the album is so damned solid that I really do overlook the negatives those songs may bring.
In short, if you're looking for another raging rock album, Über-sensitive emo album, or even anything like Blue October's done before, you're looking in the wrong place. This is a document of a man trying to come to grips with himself, and it's not always pretty. Even though there are a few overly earnest songs on this album, do yourself a favor and check out some Blue October. I don't know if they're in this website's demographic, but dammit, they should be.
Songs to check out first:
"Into the Ocean"
"She's My Ride Home"
"Drilled a Wire Through My Cheek"