Disclaimer: Several people give things scoremarks, i.e. 6/10, 3 and a half stars. I want to stay away from that in my reviews. Instead, I will tell you from my point of view what happened right and what happened wrong. You can agree or disagree, but I do suggest you partake in what I'm reviewing and form your own opinion. Enjoy :)
LINKIN PARK - LIVING THINGS
FIRST RELEASED June 20, 2012 (Japan; June 26 in US)
LABEL: Warner Bros.
GENRE: Alternative Rock
SUBGENRES: Hip-Hop/Electronic/Punk
SINGLES: Burn It Down, Lost In The Echo
MEMBERS:
Chester Bennington - vocals
Mike Shinoda - vocals, guitars, synths, arrangement, production
Brad Delson - guitars, synths, arrangement
Dave Farrell - bass, synths
Joe Hahn - turntables, gadgets, synths, arrangement
Rob Bourdon - drums
The internet started for some in the late eighties, early nineties. For most of us who didn't have a whole lot of money and time growing up (me included), the internet didn't start until Napster. You remember, that thing that killed off Tower Records and CD Warehouse and every music retailer and industry over the last decade? Ah, the domino effect. But before my digression continues into nostalgia, let's talk more about Napster. Thanks to that service, I heard of several bands. One of which was a band called Hybrid Theory.
This band floored me. At age 15/16, they spoke my language musically. The song Part Of Me was one of those that just stuck with me forever. "Heard of me the routine scar, new cuts cover where the old ones are." "You can live if you're willing to put a stop to just what's killing you. Cut myself free willingly stop just what's killing me." These lines broke through me. I had already been writing and playing music at a basic level, but these lines absolutely changed me, given things I'd been going through at the time. Then the band changed their name to Linkin Park and they released an album called Hybrid Theory. The rest is history.
Fast forward to this last few weeks. Five major label studio releases, a few EP's, one remix album, a few live outings, several singles, tens of millions of records sold and thousands of shows all over the world later, they stand taller than most of the rubble that crumbled during the time their genre got popular. And rather than stick with it and get comfortable, they adapted. Much to several of their fans' chagrin no less. If you began listening back then, by now you're either enraged at LP, supremely happy or somewhere right in the middle of indifferent. This week, they released their fifth studio release, "Living Things." So, where are they now?
Songwriting wise, Linkin Park has never once been stronger. They are not only mature, but witty about it. In the same record they channel the folk balladry that made Bob Dylan a highlight of rock society (Roads Untraveled), the high octane energy of punk rock that made bands like MC5 and Minor Threat stand apart from the mainstream (Victimized) and the formula that brought them to the top in the beginning which was the perfect blend of hip-hop, rock and emotive singing (Lost In The Echo). Music wise, they are the offspring of their major label debut and their last record, A Thousand Suns (the one that probably pissed you off).
WHAT THEY DID WRONG: Well this is an opinion, but what they did wrong on this one was make it too short. They definitely tapped into some good veins of writing and performance on here. A few more songs couldn't have hurt. These days a price of an album compared to the price of an unlimited service has buyers raising their eyebrows before they pick an album up. That did not stop this from going number 1 on the Billboard in the first week, but it may not keep it there for long. Length is not that important to a pop album listener, but to a rock album enthusiast the more the better. The only other gripe I have here is that Joe Hahn is much too busy in the mix still, as he was in A Thousand Suns, whereas in Meteora and Hybrid Theory he was sort of a highlighted afterthought (and in Minutes To Midnight you sometimes wondered if he was present). They are so close to a perfect mix of all instruments and all vocals. Just a touch away. A band who writes and performs so well, yet still has room to do more and better. This is a good sign.
WHAT THEY DID RIGHT: They didn't wait three plus years. They delivered this album in 22 months, and it is strong. This is a sign that, if given too much time to meander, they lose focus and track. They even said themselves that they wrote two or three whole albums before getting Minutes To Midnight done (a four year wait between that and Meteora). There isn't a bad song on here; not really. They all have something for you to enjoy if you've enjoyed Linkin Park thus far.
WHAT SONGS SHOULD I HEAR NOW:
Lost In The Echo - classic Linkin Park
Until It Breaks - semi-progressive elements here, and Brad sings at the end, quite well I might add
Castle Of Glass - Mike and Chester really hit it off here vocally, and the lyrics are poignant
This album is worth each song on it; somewhere around 10-11 dollars. I would buy it if I had the money, and I probably will soon (in the meantime, thank you Spotify!). If you want a good introspective listen for close to 40 minutes with some solid rock grooves and dynamite lyrics, this album is for you. I suggest you give it a whirl.
I'm so proud of Linkin Park for growing up with the times. You're my boy, Blue!
Thanks for reading folks. Until next time,
- Grant
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