7 posts tagged “fangirl-ness”

Last Saturday, a friend treated me to the Paramore show at Kool Haus (a venue that is anything but Kool as far as I'm concerned), along with the perk of attending a pre-show meet and greet with the band at the Hard Rock Cafe.  With the exception of the venue security staff and their piss-poor attitude towards anyone who was not an underage skanky-dressed girl, the entire day was an incredible experience.  It's been a long time since I've attended a show and enjoyed all of the openers and the band with enthusiasm and gusto.  Thus, settle in for a bit of a long haul, as I espouse on the virtues of Paper Route, Phantom Planet, Jack's Mannequin and of course Paramore.

Let's kick things off with the meet and greet shindig:  Paramore offers fan club members access to tickets that are not only cheaper than Ticketbastard, but also come with the perk of either entering early (and thus securing the best spot on the mosh pit rails) or a meeting with the band.  Paramore actively follows along with their Livejournal community as well, which makes me happy, being as I'm a long-term LJ addict.  Having selected the band meeting, Jared and I assemble just after 2pm and await being beckoned upstairs, where an enormous tray of food (including the ZOMGbest brownies ever made) and the band awaits.

Kudos to the young foursome of Paramore for being so gracious and humble with their fans.  Autographs, photos and then a mingle session comprised our gathering, and at no time does one get the sense that the band feels 'better' than the fans.  It feels like a big house party with a group of teens chowing down on munchies.  Hayley Williams, the singer-songwriter driving the group, was only 16 when their debut disc All We Know Is Falling dropped, and none of that fame has gone to her head.  She's the bouncy youth eagerly snatching a brownie from a plate and genuinely touched to hear one of her songs is beloved or comforting in sorrow.  She has zero egomania, and neither do the boys who rock out at her side (Jeremy Davis, Josh Farro and Zac Farro).  It's refreshing to see and fairly rare, to be honest.  Photos and signatures collected, brownies devoured, we launched into the trek to the venue to secure spots in line and swelter in the heat until the doors opened.

The show featured a four-band line-up, with each opener delivering a half-hour set before Hayley et al. arrived to rock the place down.  The calibre of openers was astonishingly good and well-suited to the bands style, unlike some openers I've seen (Deerhunter, Trent...  WTF?).  First up were Nashville's Paper Route, a band that blended ethereal electronic sounds in the vein of M83 with standard indie rock, dashed with a helping perhaps of Pulp (minus the super-cool stage persona of Jarvis Cocker;  that was the singer of Phantom Planet's M.O., but I digress).  From the first song, the audience devoured their offering eagerly.  I was impressed enough that I made a mental note to grab their EP later from iTunes.  In the first of several on-stage collaborations for the night, members of Phantom Planet and Paramore played back-up to the set-closing jam.  The ethereal feel is best captured in this quote from Chad Howat about the band's beginnings:  "There was just this lingering sense of exhaustion in the summer of 2004. I was tired of false starts. Tired of dreaming. Tired of being jaded. Tired of being tired. So it seems fitting that this story begins underneath my bed. You may picture me crawling below my mattress, but in reality my bed is about 6 feet above the ground-enough space for a small iBook and some cheap monitors. When I couldn't sleep, I'd descend my steps and make music all night. Some bands have LSD, others have cocaine, and our drug of choice seemed to be insomnia."

Second up to bat was Phantom Planet, a band based out of California.  Musically, their moody alt-rock didn't stand out as much in terms of quality when placed alongside Paper Route, but frontman Alex Greenwald carries the show with marked charisma and showmanship, with a Brit-Rocker flavour a la Jarvis Cocker or Liam Gallagher.  In any case, it made for an enjoyable set, particularly tracks from their disc Raise The Dead, which Greenwald describes as coming to him thus: "I studied a lot of the twentieth century cults and their music - from Charles Manson, David Koresh, and Jim Jones to Ti and Do of Heaven’s Gate, Shoko Asahara of Aum Shinrikyo, and Father Yod of Ya Ho Wa 13. What I realized was that if you listen to the songs apart from the circumstances that surrounded their eventually horrific outcomes, their music takes on a completely different, and actually hopeful, joyful meaning...In writing the lyrics for this album, I tried to force the listener to interpret them as saccharine on one listen and sinister the next."

Third up to bat was the delicious and energetic Jack's Mannequin, fronted by Something Corporate's Andrew McMahon, who near-skipped onto the stage in a frenentic burst and began rocking the hell out of his Baldwin piano, bringing the audience to a perfect fever pitch to greet Paramore.  In fact, I know some of us would have been content to enjoy a headliner set from the group.  I know I would have.  Being a fan of Something Corporate, I had a feeling I would love Jack's Mannequin and I was most certainly right.  I strongly urge you to check them out.  The piano and moving lyrics take their work beyond the alt-rock standard to a much better place (see tracks like Dark Blue), and hey, any cancer survivor who whoops this much ass live deserves to be on my special pedestal next to Melissa Etheridge. 

At last the main event slid onto the stage, youthful enthusiasm in full force as Paramore proceeded to rock the faces off a predominantly teenage crowd, making this reviewer feel rather old and out of place.  However, that was soon forgotten as high-energy, rocking set descended upon the crowd, loaded with tracks from sophomore disc Riot and peppered with a few selections from the (in my opinion) slightly superior debut disc All We Know Is Falling.  Hayley and company deliver a rousing set, with plenty of moshing and encouraged crowd sing-alongs, lapped up eagerly by fans young and old.  If there is one complaint to be said about the set, it would be that the selections from their first album were, with one exception, lesser tracks not worthy of a select spotlight.  Gems such as Brighter, Conspiracy, and All We Know were sat aside for Pressure and Here We Go Again.  At least Emergency made the cut.  I would also take Franklin over My Heart any day.  Regardless, the entire set was a solid effort, with Hayley in good voice and the boys giving it their all, making for a fun night that ended with a high note.  Yes, Hayley kinda sounds like Avril Lavigne.  YES, their fanbase leans young due to the pop-tinged rock delivered.  But Paramore is a thoroughly enjoyable act worth checking out.

Paper Route have an EP available for sale on iTunes.  Check out their music on MySpace.

Phantom Planet have a couple of discs available;  check out their official site.

Jack's Mannequin has their official site here;  check it out!

Paramore's official home online awaits you here, complete with cute band bios. 

SETLIST:  PARAMORE @ KOOL HAUS, TORONTO 8/23/08

Born For This

That's What You Get

Here We Go Again

Fences

Crushcrushcrush (featured snippet of Low by Flo Rida)

Let The Flames Begin

When It Rains

My Heart

Decoy

Pressure

For A Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic

We Are Broken

Emergency

Hallelujah (With Leonard Cohen opening)

Misery Business

"You never knew why you felt so good
in the strangest of places
Like in waiting rooms
and long lines that made you late
and mall parking lots on holidays."
Spectacular Views - Rilo Kiley

Seeing a band live for the first time is nervewracking for someone who, like me, considers music as essential as oxygen to his/her existence.  You have certain expectations walking in the door - songs you 'must' hear, the image of the band or artist hitting every note perfectly, having the best seat in the house, and so on.  You have high hopes, and as you make your way through the line, ticket clutched in hand, you can't help but worry.  What if they're lousy live?  What if this band I hold so dear turns out to be a flop?  It becomes that much more intense when the artist in question is one of your most beloved.  When artists of such import fall, it is that much more crushing to one's musical soul.

Standing in line on the crowded sidewalks outside The Phoenix, I have to confess having such fears about seeing Rilo Kiley for the first time.  While I managed to catch Jenny Lewis on her solo tour with The Watson Twins in 2006 (and was blown away by the woman), this was different.  This was a different dynamic, a collection of songs more dear to me, and I began to fear I may have built the band up to impossible heights in my mind during the weeks leading up to the show. 

At 10:45pm, Rilo Kiley took the stage (late, even for them).  As the first notes of It's A Hit began to reverberate in the small general admission club, I was immediately reassured.  Every note, every nuance, every line from Jenny's mouth was on, perfectly executed and delivered with a bright smile at the eager fans crowding the small stage that barely held all the members of the band comfortably.  Pressed against the stage, I bore witness to one of the best concerts I have ever seen, lapping up every musical moment like a hungry dog with a very meaty bone. 

If nothing else, you have to give Blake Sennett, Jenny Lewis et al. their dues;  after years of writing and performing together, the band is tight and the singing duo have perfected a stage presence and chemistry that accents the playful wit of many of RK's lyrics.  Staple single Portions For Foxes becomes just that much more fun as Jenny and Blake trade looks and roam the stage.  The powerful vocals on I Never reach new heights as Jenny throws her fist in the air, almost seeming to reach for a heavenly source of strength to belt out the end of the song.  Blake trades saucy banter and grins with the audience prior to and during Ripchord that leave me giggling and gleeful.  The music is fantastic, and the audience takes great joy in singing along with the 'classics' like With Arms Outstretched and Paint's Peeling, but it is the entire package that helps the band transcend from great to legendary live.

While many fans have found RK's latest album Under The Blacklight to be an inferior effort when placed alongside The Execution of All Things or even the mainstream-friendly More Adventurous, the new tracks are made for live performance.  The album likely fails to achieve its goal because it is a groove-happy sort of album, one meant to dance to, not to simply listen to.  The lyrics are less introspective, granted, but live, you simply want to shake your Moneymaker and let go of your cares for 90 minutes.  Smoke Detector, Silver Lining and 15 particularly benefit from the live presentation. 

If the show held any weaknesses, it was the choice and length of set.  With such an extensive back catalogue, one would prefer a longer set, if only to make room for neglected gems like  The Good That Won't Come Out, Picture of Success, Glendora, or A Better Son-Daughter (my personal favourite RK song).  The strong lean towards showcasing tracks from Under The Blacklight is understandable, nay predictable, but given the lukewarm reaction to the material, it may have made more sense to select older songs to blend in with them.  The decision to bring a song from Blake and Jenny's solo endeavours into the set was a treat, and the reworking of Rise Up With Fists! gave the song a different flavour, one that I almost prefer to the studio version.

I could continue to gush about the highlights of the show (Jenny's stage presence, the intensity of Does He Love You?, the cowbell joy of Breaking Up), but frankly, I think it ought to suffice to say this:  if you have the chance, do NOT miss this band.  Run, don't walk, to Ticketbastard and snap up seats.  You will not be sorry.

Setlist

1. It's a Hit
2. Close Call
3. Portions for Foxes
4. Paint's Peeling
5. Breaking Up
6. Dreamworld
7. Moneymaker
8. Wires and Waves
9. Ripchord
10. With Arms Outstretched
(Blacklight Loop)
11. Silver Lining
12. I Never
13. Smoke Detector
14. 15
15. Rise Up With Fists!
16. Greetings In Braille
17. Spectacular Views

Encore
18. Does He Love You?

"I know I wont change any mind
As long as they're still changing mine."
- Other Light

This lyric sprung to mind as I sat down to properly review my twenty-third Finger Eleven experience since 1999.  Why, you ask?  Because until the band stops allowing the mainstream and status quo to dictate their musical choices, including setlists, it will be hard to convince me to move them back into my #2 slot for 'favourite band to see live' (a position they long held behind Tori Amos, but have now relinquished to The Dresden Dolls).

This comes off rather negative, but it's not to say I didn't enjoy the show;  I had an amazing time, rocked out to my little heart's contentment, and came home feeling my money was well spent.  However, the decline I felt circa the S/T touring has continued.  It's not the live show, itself;  the band is still a treat to behold live, with every member save Sean commanding attention with his stage presence.  It's not Scott's voice.  It's not the light show that brings things down.

It's the newer crop of fans, coupled with the band's pandering to their likes, dislikes and their general younger mindset.  This is what detracted from the show for me, and unfortunately, I don't see it changing any time soon.

The intro loop/soundbite was...  well, I've heard better on DJ sampler loops on Limewire.  Seriously.  It felt like an old band like The Rolling Stones attempting to be cool.  What happened to entering to a wicked instrumental, like a NIN track?  Jesus.  Last I checked, you had a serious margin of fans who are nearly as old as the band members.  Come on, guys.  You are capable of much more class.

The crowd sucked, which always brings a show down for me.  I have never understood why people bother to fight their way to the front of the moshpit, only to stand still like statues throughout the show.  With the exception of those right in the centre of the pit, it was utterly motionless.  I felt terrible for James Black, who had myself and a smattering of others before him who genuinely seemed into the show.  Move over and let the happy fans through!  The most movement I saw all night was (you guessed it) the mass singalong to One Thing.

This of course brings us to the setlist, which admittedly, I may have missed a song or two of since I was rather busy moshing.  Overall, the song selection was decent. although I do have a few bitch points to make:  a)  Far too high of a proportion of tracks from the last two albums, especially given the set length (this is where that 'pandering to the newbie fans' comes in);  b)  Speaking of set length, you now have four albums, not counting Letters From Chutney, and 90 minute sets/16 song sets just do not cut it any more.  Seriously.  Tori Amos plays 2 hours and 15 minutes, 22-24 songs, some songs spanning 10 minutes.  It wouldn't kill you to add a few more songs to the night, and would allow you to work in the gems of the back catalogue like Costume For a Gutterball or Famous;  and c) Tip.  They skipped playing TIP.  I feel like I just saw The Eagles and they skipped Hotel California. 

The setlist choices were fairly predictable - fan favourites, singles, and the most generic/mainstream tracks from the new disc.  I was extremely happy that Window Song (which I expected to be played, being as in my review of Them Vs You Vs Me, I pegged it as One Thing Pt 2) did not make an appearance, but I'll Keep Your Memory Vague (the Thousand Mile Wish/superior ballad of this disc) did show.  IKYMV is fast moving into my F11 Top Ten, nudging Stay and Drown out of the way.  So-So Suicide is easily the best rocker of the album, and also an excellent call.  However, Talking To The Walls and Lost My Way are paint-by-numbers tracks that could have been set aside for the more experiemental treats on the album (Easy Life!  It's brilliant!  Sense of A Spark or the title track would have been more welcome choices as well).  The back catalogue selections were decent for newer fans, being as with the exception of Tip and Drag You Down, all the classic singles/strong rockers made an appearance;  however, for those of us around since before the S/T, it's a damn shame that the gems are being shelved seemingly for good.  I would love to hear My Carousel once more;  it's one of the best examples of guitar work in their entire repertoire.  Consolation Day (that's Awake and Dreaming to you newbies) is my favourite song by the band, and I'd naturally love that again.  Tracks like Famous and Therapy, songs worthy of regular live rotation, have never crossed my ears, and are rarities live to my dismay.  The lean towards S/T tracks was also a disappointment, although there were strong choices made (Obvious Heart, Good Times, and Absent Elements are all great tracks), and felt like a 'play what made us big' move. 

The predictability of the set and general vibe left me, as a long-time supporter, feeling undervalued, as if those who kept the band going until they stumbled onto the success of One Thing (a song that most pre-S/T fans find weak and beneath the band, especially compared to tracks like Unspoken) are not as important.  It actually flat-out pissed me off when that song received a Juno nod, as opposed to Thousand Mile Wish or even Good Times.  Even in freebie paper 24 Hours, Jennifer Bill's notes on the show insisted the band was riding high on the success of their third album, completely ignoring the strong following the band has had all along, or the strong performance of TGOBS single Drag You Down.  For a band that has always bucked the status quo and really appreciated their fans (see:  cancelled and relisted concerts to reduce ticket prices, allowing fans to phone them in studio, frequent video messages/updates, etc etc), to turn 'mainstream' and pay more mind to those who slid in when Top 40 radio latched onto a song I actually heard in my dentist's office (so not a good sign for a hard rock band), fans that I watched only know the words to the S/T and TVYVM tracks at the show, it was disheartening.  These are fickle folk, the kind who will move on to the next big thing, the next trendy band, in a heartbeat.  Those of us who've stood by as the band migrated from side stage to main stage to co-headliners for Edgefest...  we've done so out of genuine love for the band, beyond what the media says we ought to like or support.  We're the ones who'd actually enjoy seeing a few songs from Letters From Chutney resurface live for the sake of nostalgia.  We're the ones who promoted the hell out of the band, wanting them to succeed.

But success does not mean giving in to the status quo.  See:  Tool.

The live show is still tight, still high energy, and the band still obviously loves what they do.  The encore cover of Guns 'N Roses' Patience was well worth the ticket cost alone.  I will of course be at the next show, eagerly.  I just expected a little more I suppose.  Whether that is my youthful memory adding rose-coloured glasses to the good 'ol days, I cannot say;  I don't believe that's the case, unfortunately.  Time will tell.  For now, it's the 'them' of the newbie fans versus 'you' the band versus me. 

Setlist - Finger Eleven 5/1/07 Toronto (Kool Haus)

Good Times
Falling On
Quicksand
Absent Elements
Complicated Questions
Suffocate
Lost My Way
So-So Suicide
Above
I'll Keep Your Memory Vague
First Time
Obvious Heart
Talking To The Walls
One Thing

Patience (cover)
Paralyzer

Am I like the only Tori fan in the world to not realize that David Bowie sings a song called Buddha of Suburbia, which, between the B-Side Not David Bowie, and the lyrics here..... makes me think there's a connection to Tori's song Barons of Suburbia?

Is this like that whole Voodoo thing where I totally missed the Eagles reference for years?

Clips leaked!

Bouncing Off Clouds:  Oh my.  This is Tori's Cloudbusting/Running Up That Hill.  I like this.  I like that she's letting Matt play.... and I love the guitar riffage sounds.  I think this song and I will be friends.  I'm far more impressed than I was with the SWB and C&G leaked clips, that's for sure.  Oh it's lovely!  It's fun and bouncy.  It's dancey-80's-gorgeous.

Big Wheel:  Oh my.  THIS IS AWESOME.  I know this is going to be a song like Hoochie Woman, where I'm the weird fan who loves it and the majority of fans loathe it.  But that's okay.  This FUCKING ROCKS.  It's got this sassy vibe to it that throws back to the (obviously referenced) Proud Mary, but the vibe also fucked Sweet Home Alabama.  It's got an edgey fun feel like her cover of Do It Again.  Upon lyrical reflection, and of course this is just a snippet.... this is what Hoochie Woman SHOULD have been.  Even the M-I-L-F amuses me.

Phew!  Considering Epic has lame taste in Tori single choices (ASF is a good song and all, but it's soooo commericial, like Taxi Ride;  SWB?  They promoted C&G like it was good!)... this bodes well.  For me anyway.  I feel so much better now.

Ignore One Thing; most fans do.  Finger Eleven has been a favourite of mine since 1998, although unbeknownst to me, I'd been a fan since 1995 or so, adoring the song Circles from their first incarnation, Rainbow Butt Monkeys. 

The Finger fandom is much like that of Tori Amos:  the die-hards insist that nothing since the F11 debut disc Tip has lived up to their expectations.  They mock fans who've come in on later, more 'mainstream' albums.  They cringe if the band achieves any success on the radio.  They also brag about how many times they've seen the band live.  Sound familiar?

Me, I've always appreciated that, as with Tori, the Finger five a) are very appreciative and accessible to fans and b) try something new each time.  Even if there are flops along the way (One Thing) and poor choices (Unspoken should have been on the album in its place; James' Rocketman hair-do; the bullshit with the Canadian street team), I still give them credit.  I still cheer them on.

When Paralyzer, the lead single off Them Vs You Vs Me, leaked, you could say I was conflicted.  On one hand, I found the song catchy as hell;  on the other, it was not a 'finger eleven' song, and featured the first use of a cuss word lyrically - and it was used poorly.  After repeated listening, I have to confess it's become addictive;  I simply ignore the troublesome lyric through mental mojo.  The song felt like a throwback to the RBM era, something I've longed for the band to do.  Letters From Chutney is a fun, thrashy album well worth the listen. 

So, the preamble established, as usual, the Finger Five have put out new material within close proximity to Ms. Amos, making my year of course.  And I have had the chance to spin the entire disc through the wonders of technology...  meaning, of course, a review post!

Them Vs You Vs Me (Wind-Up/Sony; release March 6th)

Them VS. You VS. Me

Paralyzer:  My one grievance remaining with this song is the horrific use of the word 'shitty'.  Seriously, Scott;  you've never sworn in a lyric before.  Why start so horribly?  WHY?  This song is fun, catchy, dance-able in that fantastic Good Times way.  But seriously, what made you think this sounded good:  "But so far, has not been good/It's been shitty/And I feel awkward as I should..."   :p    The chorus is highly redeeming, so I'll forgive you.  This time.  Sonically, this feels like Stay In Shadow meets As Far As I Can Spit; lyrically, it feels like Scott saying, "James Blunt, quit your fucking whining and write a COOL pining song".  Rating:  8.5/10

Falling On:  More traditional F11 melodies on this one.  Unlike Paralyzer, I can instantly hear trademark riffs and hooks established by the band.  This feels sonically and lyrically like Other Light part two, which isn't a bad thing;  I quite like Other Light.  I think this one will become a staple in the rotation over time, if only for the delicious riffs punctuating the shifts between chorus and verses.  Rating:  8/10

I'll Keep Your Memory Vague:  Oh my.  Acoustic intro=instapantiescreamed.  This is going to be this album's Thousand Mile Wish or Broken Words.  WOW.  Now this song proves why One Thing is ignored and stabbed.  Lyrically, it's making me swoon.  Oh yes.  YES.  YES.  Thank you.  A lovely little heartbreak ditty.  Rating:  9.5/10.

Lost My Way: Glitter!  The word glitter!  (Sorry;  one of my fave songs is Famous, which has a line involving glitter).  This feels kinda paint-by-numbers F11 though;  it's good, but it's... how can I say it?  Predictable?  However, the breakdown at the end just caught me entirely off-guard, so that redeems it a bit.  In fact, they needed more of that throughout the song.  Rating:  7/10

So-So Suicide:  Okay, first of all, the title is cracking me the fuck up. The intro feels very As Far As I Can Spit/Scrumpy.  Hooray!  Actually, the entire song, lyrically and sonically, is a complete RBM throwback.  HELL YEAH!  If Scott were a manic depressive writing in different phases of his mood disorder, Therapy (from the s/t) album would be the depressed half talking, and this would be his manic side writing.  Very fun to listen to.  Oh m.  Paralyzer, move over;  I think this song is going to win catchy track of the album.  There is this wonderful guitar bit (and I know it's James, not Rick) that approaches a sound nearing a bluesy harmonica.  NICE.  Rating:  9.5/10

Window Song:  Slow, One Thing-esque number.  Only the lyrics aren't as shitty as One Thing, thankfully.  The mix isn't so great, either;  Scott's soft vocals are beautiful, but they need to be brought up.  Come to think of it, this is One Thing part 2, lyrically in a thematic sense.  If One Thing is a whiny fourth grader pining over Suzie Classmate, this is emo grade eight boy lusting over Suzie Classmate.  I want to like it sonically, but lyrically, it's not spectacular.  Rating:  6.5/10

Sense of a Spark:  Tori has Spark... and now my other favourite band uses that word.  The intro is really intriguing;  it doesn't sound like any other F11 song, which is a big bonus.  In Scott fashion, he's recycling phrases again;  "I told myself not to stay in the shadow" feels so much like the song Stay In Shadow.  This song's story, however, feels like Scott's regretting staying in said shadow on the last album.  Hmm.  I think this needs to grow on me, but it has promise.  Rating:  7/10.

Talking To The Walls:  This reeks of mainstream alt rock.  I happen to like a lot of mainstream alt rock, but I expect better from my boys.  Add in the neverending use of the imagery of being broken, and well, like Lost My Way, we start to feel paint-by-numbers.  However, the bridge has nice bg-vox, and the lyrics aren't terrible.  This song feels a lot like Window Song lyrically, though, which suggests to me they should have gone with one or the other.  Naughty naughty.  Hey guys, if you were looking for filler, how about a studio cut of Unspoken???!!!  Rating:  7/10

Change The World:  Scott, you're in your 30's.  You can't sing the world girl anymore in reference to your babes.  K?  Scott is being a complete sap in this song.  Someone's head over heels.  Or he was at the time of writing.  But he sings it so pretty, the fangirl in me wants to be all groupie and toss my panties on stage.  Even if he grew his hair back (Scott, baby, it's brave but your hairline is receding like my uncles' and the shaved look was ZOMFG SO HOT regardless because, as we know, all male volunatrily bald singers are sexy as hell - please see Maynard, Billy Corgan, and oh YOU.).  Okay, the song, the song...  It's uplifting.  It has that Therapy vibe - 'Cancelled my therapy cuz/I just thought of you, and now I feel fine'.  It'll grow on me, no doubt.  It'll become like Stay In Drown, where Scott will sing, and my answer will be, "I am so yours *drool*".  Rating:  8/10 (guiltily)

Gather & Give:  This song is TOO acoustic.  This song says to me, "T., please tell these fuckers to turn down the acoustic guitar and crank the electric NOW."  What a shame.  It's catchy, but it's too plain.  The lyrics aren't stellar, so the lyrics and music combined make for a very plain song.  B-side fodder, really.  Rating:  6/10

Them Vs You Vs Me:  Now, see Scott?  The use of 'fucking' works here.  It isn't weak or lame.  Actually, this song is one of the stronger ones on the disc, and the haunting acoustic guitar work adds an element of ominous that enhances the story.  Something tells me this is the song that the mainstream One Thing-loving fans will ignore for Window Song, which is a shame, because this is brilliant in its simplicity.  It almost feels like 'what happens after he gets the girl from Paralyzer?'  Rating:  8.5/10

Easy Life:  Ahh, rock.  Much better.  This has a very classic rock feel to the opening.  A strange bastard child of Pink Floyd and The Eagles is at play here.  I like it.  I really like it.  This feels like OLD F11... Almost an acoustic Glimpse/Thin Spirits vibe...  Big ol' thumbs up.  Rating:  9/10

Conclusion
This is definitely a new direction for the band, and strangely, a re-visiting of old, old ground.  A solid enough disc, but I'd probably say it suffers from the same weaknesses of the last disc.  No wonder, since they elected to work with the same producer, Johnny K (Disturbed has also used him).  My advice to the band:  ditch Johnny, produce the next one yourselves, and continue to experiment.  Even if I don't like it all, I'll come along for the ride, because you always make it worth the trip, one way or another.  Oh, and please play more with the vibes on So-So Suicide and Easy Life.  Love, me, the girl who has arthritis from a pit injury at one of your shows.  And a tattoo of the TGOBS marionette.  Yeah, I'm diehard.