I wrote three album reviews some weeks ago out of boredom and posted them in another forum. I might as well post all of them here as well. Here's the second:
Collective Soul - Youth
Sometimes I find it strange and saddening that there aren't a lot of people here who like Collective Soul like I do. In certain cases, I cite a song of theirs other than "Shine" and people would go "huh?"
Even more saddening was the probability that they've already called it quits when they released their greatest hits album some years back.
So, I guess you can imagine my excitement when I found out they were coming back with a new album, four years after "Blender." Even more profound was that they've decided to go independent and run their own label.
"Youth" is a strong declaration of the band's rejuvination in more ways than one, and Ed Roland immediately makes that known by singing "Oh, I'm newly calibrated.... oh shiny and clean..." in the first line of the first track, "Better Now."
I was actually concerned that the departure of guitarist Ross Childress from the band would significantly affect their sound. Fortunately, the concern was erased after listening to the second track, "There's A Way." New guitarist Joel Kosche does a great job taking Childress's place. This doesn't mean the band's sound hasn't changed at all, though. They seem to sound a bit grittier now, more in-your-face, thanks to those catchy guitar riffs the Roland brothers (Ed and Dean) and Kosche kept churning out. And they did those without making Ed's voice out of place in the mix. That's great, as I find Ed's voice refreshing, even more so than before, as this is a time when many popular rock frontmen either rap, growl and yell all the time or sing with funny fake British accents. Yeah, I guess they'll never ever pass for a nu-metal band. (Like that matters...)
There are very few albums out there which I like listening to as a whole, and this one is the latest addition to my list. I guess that last sentence pretty much sums up my opinion of this album.
"Youth" may as well be one of the best, if not THE best Collective Soul album out there, in my opinion. This one at least deserves to be heard by anyone who can appreciate good rock music. I recommend everyone to do so if they get the chance. This is a new beginning for the band. And if this album is any indication, they're gonna do great.
