So, I have been out of commission for a while. This is a combination of a few different things. One… I just had a baby and have been looking for a new job, and two… I haven’t heard anything that I’ve fallen in love with in quite some time. I’ve been in a mood… a zone, if you will… where I’ve needed comfort in my music. It cuts down on some of my stress, which is good when looking for a new job. So it’s been a lot of Thrice, Lower than Atlantis, and the like… bands I know and love, and like a blanket, they comfort me.
I’ve been unable to get out of my musical rut.
Until now.
Leave it to one of my favorite bands from my childhood (or middle school years, whatever) to get me back into the musical light. What Sevendust has accomplished with this album is nothing short of genius. It’s 12 songs long, with 6 classic Sevendust tracks given the acoustic makeover, and 6 brand new acoustic songs written specifically for this album. The six cover tracks are excellent renditions of songs that are already solid. The band did way more than just play them with a different type of guitar. These songs build differently, add full orchestration and percussion… they’re gorgeous, and much different than the versions previously heard on their live acoustic album. But the originals are where this album truly explodes.
These tracks are beautifully written. They have full electric guitar and bass to go with the acoustic foundation, making it different than the usual acoustic album stuff. These are full-blown Sevendust songs. The first track, Come Down, will go down as one of my most favorite Sevendust songs. With the driving force that is Sevendust’s percussion section, the acoustic work fits beautifully with singer Lajon Witherspoon’s powerful croon. It’s quite possibly one of the best vocal performances I’ve heard since Thrice’s Vheissu, and that’s huge praise coming from me. It all wraps up with a full band solo/musical swell that is just perfect.
As you traverse the 6 original tunes, you’ll hear it all… classic acoustic, driving ballads, haunting piano, swells of orchestration, and incredible vocals. This is a must buy album.
--The Professor
Comments