anamericangod
06/09/07, 04:12 PM
Straylight Run - The Needles, The Space
Release Date: June 19th, 2007
Label: Universal Republic
Straylight Run’s follow up album The Needles, The Space was one of my most anticipated of the year. After having followed John and crew around for years like most of you out there, I was pretty pumped about having some new material. The disc clocks in at just over 45 minutes, and opens with the track “The Words We Say.” The vocals between John and Michelle are very balanced, and musically there is a folk flavor. The next track, “The Miracle That Never Came” is similar sounding to the opening song, but with one major exception; Michelle has the main vocals. Now, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I wasn’t expecting to have a Michelle track at the beginning of the album. Straylight Run got popular for a few reasons. One, of course, being they make great music. Two, John and Shaun had left Taking Back Sunday, and for us to be able to hear John’s vocals and writing again was like getting a little piece of that original feeling back. We loved it because it reminded us of something that was once great. Michelle had no part in that, and her vocals as the main part of the song just seem out of place. I love her voice, but I prefer it when it is supplementing John’s.
“Soon We’ll Be Living In The Future” screams “Spill Canvas” in nearly every aspect possible. The structure, hand claps, the way John is singing, and even the lyrics sound familiar. “How Do I Fix My Head” goes back to Michelle, and is a slow song with a bit of harmonizing laid over drum beats. “Who Will Save Us Now” is one of those songs that on an album kind of make you wonder for a second if you really like it or not, but when performed live, this track will shine. “Cover Your Eyes” is another Michelle leading track. Did they mean to alternate between lead singers for each track? It really detracts from the continuity and flow of the album.
“We’ll Never Leave Again” is a very solid track. So far it’s the closest track on the album that is reminiscent to any of Straylight’s previous songs. The lyrics are beautiful, and the arrangement is top notch. “Take It To Manhattan” is a short, snappy song with some great gang vocals. “Still Alone” is a song sung by Michelle, and fits great towards the latter end of the album. It is vaguely similar to “Now It’s Done” from the self titled album, granted a bit more upbeat. Her voice shines though, and she is able to carry the entire song nearly by herself, with a little help from a horn section. “This Is The End” features mostly Michelle’s vocals, with some harmonizing with John at other points. It’s a simple track, but still manages to sound elegant.
“Buttoned Down” is by far the most impressive and enjoyable track on this album. John’s voice is absolutely top notch here, and he seems the most comfortable he ever has. The harmonies are nothing short of beautiful, the lyrics are heartfelt, and the music is just simply perfect. The track manages to be chill, passionate, elaborate, and completely engrossing all at once. The end portion of the song is Straylight Run at their absolute finest, with the last minute being a piece of musical glory. If you’re with a bunch of fellow fans, I dare you to resist the urge to sing along.
“Untitled” is a fast drumming beat and some background wailing. The album ends with “The First of the Century,” a powerful ballad, with John doing starting out slow and building up to a crescendo. A very appropriate ending track.
This is a good album. Is it a great album? That’s to be debated. Maybe it will grow on me and people who share the same thoughts. I feel like I was left wanting a lot more, and that half the songs on the album were written for hell, I don’t know, the hell of it. The Needles, The Space doesn’t compare to the self titled album, but then again a lot of albums don’t. Like I mentioned earlier, Straylight Run was adored because it gave us a little piece back of something we were all missing. Something that we define a part in our life by. This album does little to showcase what this band is capable of, and with the exception of a few tracks, it probably won’t get as much playtime as the other Straylight releases. Bands do what they want, bands evolve, bands mature, and sometimes bands let you down. Hopefully these songs come to life more when they are performed live, because if not, I'm praying Straylight Run hasn't lost the special something they damn sure had not long ago.
Release Date: June 19th, 2007
Label: Universal Republic
Straylight Run’s follow up album The Needles, The Space was one of my most anticipated of the year. After having followed John and crew around for years like most of you out there, I was pretty pumped about having some new material. The disc clocks in at just over 45 minutes, and opens with the track “The Words We Say.” The vocals between John and Michelle are very balanced, and musically there is a folk flavor. The next track, “The Miracle That Never Came” is similar sounding to the opening song, but with one major exception; Michelle has the main vocals. Now, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I wasn’t expecting to have a Michelle track at the beginning of the album. Straylight Run got popular for a few reasons. One, of course, being they make great music. Two, John and Shaun had left Taking Back Sunday, and for us to be able to hear John’s vocals and writing again was like getting a little piece of that original feeling back. We loved it because it reminded us of something that was once great. Michelle had no part in that, and her vocals as the main part of the song just seem out of place. I love her voice, but I prefer it when it is supplementing John’s.
“Soon We’ll Be Living In The Future” screams “Spill Canvas” in nearly every aspect possible. The structure, hand claps, the way John is singing, and even the lyrics sound familiar. “How Do I Fix My Head” goes back to Michelle, and is a slow song with a bit of harmonizing laid over drum beats. “Who Will Save Us Now” is one of those songs that on an album kind of make you wonder for a second if you really like it or not, but when performed live, this track will shine. “Cover Your Eyes” is another Michelle leading track. Did they mean to alternate between lead singers for each track? It really detracts from the continuity and flow of the album.
“We’ll Never Leave Again” is a very solid track. So far it’s the closest track on the album that is reminiscent to any of Straylight’s previous songs. The lyrics are beautiful, and the arrangement is top notch. “Take It To Manhattan” is a short, snappy song with some great gang vocals. “Still Alone” is a song sung by Michelle, and fits great towards the latter end of the album. It is vaguely similar to “Now It’s Done” from the self titled album, granted a bit more upbeat. Her voice shines though, and she is able to carry the entire song nearly by herself, with a little help from a horn section. “This Is The End” features mostly Michelle’s vocals, with some harmonizing with John at other points. It’s a simple track, but still manages to sound elegant.
“Buttoned Down” is by far the most impressive and enjoyable track on this album. John’s voice is absolutely top notch here, and he seems the most comfortable he ever has. The harmonies are nothing short of beautiful, the lyrics are heartfelt, and the music is just simply perfect. The track manages to be chill, passionate, elaborate, and completely engrossing all at once. The end portion of the song is Straylight Run at their absolute finest, with the last minute being a piece of musical glory. If you’re with a bunch of fellow fans, I dare you to resist the urge to sing along.
“Untitled” is a fast drumming beat and some background wailing. The album ends with “The First of the Century,” a powerful ballad, with John doing starting out slow and building up to a crescendo. A very appropriate ending track.
This is a good album. Is it a great album? That’s to be debated. Maybe it will grow on me and people who share the same thoughts. I feel like I was left wanting a lot more, and that half the songs on the album were written for hell, I don’t know, the hell of it. The Needles, The Space doesn’t compare to the self titled album, but then again a lot of albums don’t. Like I mentioned earlier, Straylight Run was adored because it gave us a little piece back of something we were all missing. Something that we define a part in our life by. This album does little to showcase what this band is capable of, and with the exception of a few tracks, it probably won’t get as much playtime as the other Straylight releases. Bands do what they want, bands evolve, bands mature, and sometimes bands let you down. Hopefully these songs come to life more when they are performed live, because if not, I'm praying Straylight Run hasn't lost the special something they damn sure had not long ago.