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| "Gravity" 2002 |
* * * "Gravity"
2002
If any of you remember the previous incarnation of this site, you might recall that
I said "Gravity" was the best OLP record out there. Many other people agreed with me. Then a few months later,
it dawned on a few of us: this WASN'T the best OLP CD. When I first heard it, I thought "Wow, they really seem a lot
harder now. I like it!" Sadly, that was only one of the mistakes on the album. Another is Raine Maida, who
for reason's unknown sounds like he's trying to change his voice. No random high-pitched screetches? No innovative
guitar/bass parts? Hollow lyrics? That's what you get when a band plays to broaden their audience and make themselves
more marketable. For all of "Gravity"'s problems, there are still a few keepers on this 10 track CD. Most seem
to be power ballads, especially "Somewhere Out There". It's an OK song, but nothing to go crazy over. The real
gems, however, are "All For You" where the new hard sound actually works, and works pretty good too. Then there's "Do
You Like It", a simple enough song with pretty good lyrics. Then, the two songs which save the CD....."Bring Back The
Sun" and "Story About A Girl". Both are ultra mellow songs and I guarantee that you'll like them. Overall, a die-hard
OLP fan would be disappointed with this CD, yet if you are looking for one of their more recent efforts, "Gravity" won't kill
you. Unless you want to be real smart, and wait for thier upcoming CD that's due in January of '04. THAT one is
gonna make everyone forget about "Gravity" pretty fast.
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| "Spiritual Machines" 2000 |
* * * * * "Spiritual
Machines" 2000
THIS is the best Our Lady Peace CD. Is it because of the highly-detailed
case, book, and disk artwork? Is it because Mike Turner, the awesome guitarist, played his guts out because he knew
this was his final CD with the band? Is it because of the cool idea of a concept album? Could it be because of
the songs themselves? The answer to all the above is YES. The whole point of "Spiritual
Machines" is a concept by author Ray Kurzwell in which he theorizes how robots and technology will co-exist in the future,
and how robots and humans, while still similar, would cope with common problems. Throughout the CD, there are small
excerpts from the book read by Kurzwell on life, love, control, time, happiness, sadness, and pain and how they are interpreted.
Most of them lead right into a song, much like the opening track "Right Behind You (Mafia)". Two other amazing tracks
are "In Repair" and "Life", with particularly good lyrics. My personal favorite is called "Everyone's A Junkie", which
begins with Kurzwell naming off true instances where machines have, somewhat covertly, asserted control over mankind.
While all these songs I've named are extremely solid, I think the final three tracks are what cap off "Spiritual
Machines". "All My Friends" is kind of a mellow song that begins with a haunting soft guitar, and as the bass line
kicks in, the song builds up until Raine's vocals take over. "If You Believe" is where the guitarist just about annihilates
sound itself, only to disappear in the chorus, then reappear for the final along with Raine asking us all "If you believe
in the world I'm calling, will you be strong?" Download it. And the grand finale...."The Wonderful Future".
This song is unlike any other OLP song I've ever heard. It's got almost a calypso beat, and relies on a simple guitar
riff and amazing out-there sound effects. Put it all together, and you get a terrific soothing closing song. And
if you fast forward to 16 minutes at the end, you get an eerie 3 minutes of Ray Kurzwell having a conversation with a robot
from the future about emotions, love, pain, and children. Without a doubt, this CD has one of the sweetest concept endings
I've been fortunate enough to hear. While "Spiritual Machines" might seem far-fecthed, you'd be foolish not
to give these songs a listen. Trust me.
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| "Clumsy" 1997 |
* * * * "Clumsy"
1997
Say what you want about Canada, but one thing is for certain: they know how to play good
music. Our Lady Peace is by far the cream of the Northern crop as far as alternative music is concerned. Thanks
to Watson, I got on the bandwagon just in time before they released "Gravity" in 2002 (one of the most ever-produced CD's
ever in the history of the Western Hemisphere). Be honest, how many times did you hear it on radio or see it on endcaps
at stores like Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, or Sam Goody? While I admit Gravity has some redeeming value, anybody who
was not heard "Clumsy" definately needs to now. Each song is different, thanks to Raine Maida's voice which once you
hear it, you won't forget it. "4AM" is a slow song about Raine's father, and "Big Dumb Rocket" is another sweet, defiant
song. "Superman's Dead" was one of the hit singles back in '97 and if you don't remember it, listen to it and you'll
see why. The song "Clumsy" was also a big hit, with an innocent piano leading into a haunting chorus about
being there for a friend. DOWNLOAD IT. "The Story of 100 Aisles" stands out for Raine's ultra-high vocals and
the accompanying madstyle guitars. Probably the coolest song on the CD would have to be "Carnival" which starts off
with a haunting carnival background, then builds into a powerful chorus with guitars flailing around wildly. If you
are looking for a great alternative/rock CD to chill out or jam to, "Clumsy" is it.
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