Joe DeAndrea
05/24/08, 10:06 PM
H2O - Nothing to Prove
Record Label: Bridge 9 Records
Release Date: May 27th, 2008
I'm a very impatient person and I always have been. I can hardly wait the five minutes it takes for my delicious easy mac to finish cooking in the microwave. With that said, if someone told me back in 2001 that I was going to have to wait seven years for another H2O record, I probably would have exploded. I'm not sure whether or not my combustion would have to do with the fact that it was such a long wait, or just because their last album Go was a bit of a disappointment. Either way, H2O are finally back and better than ever with their new album Nothing to Prove.
Previously on Go, the band had a poppier sound, a big producer, and a major label behind their backs. With Nothing to Prove, they've dropped the label, signed to Bridge 9 and recruited New Found Glory's Chad Gilbert to work behind the boards. Not only that, but they've also returned to their roots that their old fans know and love.
From the moment I heard the first notes of Nothing to Prove's lead-off track "1995," I was instantly reminded of material off of F.T.T.W.. Since that's my favorite H2O album, I knew it was a good sign of what was to come. Although it's been a while since new H2O material, the band has shown that they haven't lost their ability to create anthems with catchy choruses, which is shown in practically all ten tracks, but most notably in "Unconditional," and "Heart on My Sleeve." Lyrically, the band's frontman Toby Morse has written the most personal H2O album to date. If the various sound bytes from Morse's child and friends throughout the album weren't enough proof, the lyrical content about things such as the death of his father ("Sunday") and his life as being straight-edge while in his 30's ("Still Here") should be even more convincing.
As Nothing to Prove comes to a close, it ends on a high note with one last anthem in "What Happened?," a song which features Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio and Lou Koller of Sick of it All. Even though some people probably aren't going to get over the fact that Nothing to Prove isn't what their first album is, it should at least be appreciated for being such a step up from Go, and a nice, refreshing release in a genre that has been needing it.
Older H2O
Track Listing
01) 1995
02) Nothing to Prove
03) Sunday
04) A Thin Line
05) Unconditional
06) Still Here
07) Fairweather Friend
08) Heart on My Sleeve
09) Mitts
10) What Happened?
Produced by: Chad Gilbert
H2O is:
Toby Morse - Vocals
Rusty Pistachio - Guitar/vocals
Todd Morse - Guitar
Adam Blake - Bass
Todd Friend - Drums
AP.net Profile (http://www.absolutepunk.net/h2o) - Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/h2ofamily) - http://ax.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net/images/badgeitunes61x15dark.gif (http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=BBwAS3l93tA&offerid=78941&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fphobos. apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStor e.woa%252Fwa%252FviewAlbum%253Fi%25 3D279868097%2526id%253D279868047%25 26s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30 ) - Buy (http://www.b9store.com/band/74)
Record Label: Bridge 9 Records
Release Date: May 27th, 2008
I'm a very impatient person and I always have been. I can hardly wait the five minutes it takes for my delicious easy mac to finish cooking in the microwave. With that said, if someone told me back in 2001 that I was going to have to wait seven years for another H2O record, I probably would have exploded. I'm not sure whether or not my combustion would have to do with the fact that it was such a long wait, or just because their last album Go was a bit of a disappointment. Either way, H2O are finally back and better than ever with their new album Nothing to Prove.
Previously on Go, the band had a poppier sound, a big producer, and a major label behind their backs. With Nothing to Prove, they've dropped the label, signed to Bridge 9 and recruited New Found Glory's Chad Gilbert to work behind the boards. Not only that, but they've also returned to their roots that their old fans know and love.
From the moment I heard the first notes of Nothing to Prove's lead-off track "1995," I was instantly reminded of material off of F.T.T.W.. Since that's my favorite H2O album, I knew it was a good sign of what was to come. Although it's been a while since new H2O material, the band has shown that they haven't lost their ability to create anthems with catchy choruses, which is shown in practically all ten tracks, but most notably in "Unconditional," and "Heart on My Sleeve." Lyrically, the band's frontman Toby Morse has written the most personal H2O album to date. If the various sound bytes from Morse's child and friends throughout the album weren't enough proof, the lyrical content about things such as the death of his father ("Sunday") and his life as being straight-edge while in his 30's ("Still Here") should be even more convincing.
As Nothing to Prove comes to a close, it ends on a high note with one last anthem in "What Happened?," a song which features Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio and Lou Koller of Sick of it All. Even though some people probably aren't going to get over the fact that Nothing to Prove isn't what their first album is, it should at least be appreciated for being such a step up from Go, and a nice, refreshing release in a genre that has been needing it.
Older H2O
Track Listing
01) 1995
02) Nothing to Prove
03) Sunday
04) A Thin Line
05) Unconditional
06) Still Here
07) Fairweather Friend
08) Heart on My Sleeve
09) Mitts
10) What Happened?
Produced by: Chad Gilbert
H2O is:
Toby Morse - Vocals
Rusty Pistachio - Guitar/vocals
Todd Morse - Guitar
Adam Blake - Bass
Todd Friend - Drums
AP.net Profile (http://www.absolutepunk.net/h2o) - Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/h2ofamily) - http://ax.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net/images/badgeitunes61x15dark.gif (http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=BBwAS3l93tA&offerid=78941&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fphobos. apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStor e.woa%252Fwa%252FviewAlbum%253Fi%25 3D279868097%2526id%253D279868047%25 26s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30 ) - Buy (http://www.b9store.com/band/74)