popwreckoning

I held off the Script as long as I could. I’m usually so skeptical about bands that have international legions of obsessed fans, especially when they are mostly female. When the Dublin band appeared as a “You Oughta Know” band prospect on VH1 and one of my English friends told me I just had to listen to one of their songs, “Before the Worst” (from their eponymous debut album released in the UK in 2008), I finally caved. And I’m so glad I did. They came into my life exactly when I needed them. R&B isn’t what comes to mind when you think of the Emerald Isle, but for the Script‘s Danny O’Donoghue and Mark Sheehan, American soul music played a big part of their musical upbringing, which explains the hip hoppy / soulful parts of some Script songs. It’s an interesting twist to the usual pop formula.

The Script – comprised of O’Donoghue (lead vocals, keyboards), Sheehan (guitar, backing vocals) and Glen Power (drums) – have somehow managed to put together blue-eyed soul with a pop sensibility in perfect combination to move thousands of albums and concert tickets. (Their debut album went double platinum in the UK, and an entire 12-date UK arena tour for this March sold out in 5 days when tickets went on sale in October.) The majority of their fans are young and female, which isn’t a surprise given that most of their songs deal with falling in love, heartbreak, or both, and it sure doesn’t hurt that all three members are in their twenties and good looking.

Unfortunately, thanks to these qualities, they’ve been marked as lightweights by most critics, which is unfair. I’m sure many of you reading this have not given the Script a chance for the same reasons I didn’t at the get-go. But Script & Faith, their second album, is worth a listen, whether you are male or female, young or old. Writing the perfect pop song is an art, and even more so if you’re writing a radio-friendly single. Anyone can try to write a good one, but few are successful. Listening to this album makes you think the whole process must be nearly effortless for this band.

Take for example the first single from this album they released in the UK in September 2010, “For the First Time.” You can watch the promo video for the song below: it stars Bono‘s daughter Eve Hewson and ends on a very moving note. With “You Won’t Feel a Thing, “Long Gone and Moved On,” and “Dead Man Walking,” you will find a cool guitar rock sound with pop piano that is comparable to other radio-friendly acts like Keane and Snow Patrol, O’Donoghue’s expansive voice making the tracks soar. Driving drums and piano propel “This is Love,” its sweet lyrics as evocative as the band’s first-ever single “We Cry,” demonstrating the struggle and hope that define the songs of the Script.

When I saw them live at a sold out 9:30 Club show in November 2010, O’Donoghue and Sheehan described their song “Nothing” as being about cheering up a mate with a broken heart by taking him to the local bar and getting him drunk to forget the ex. If the Script‘s words are to be believed, alcohol isn’t the answer because the pain is still too fresh. And really, who hasn’t felt this way right after the end of a relationship, when you haven’t fully come to grips that what you once shared with someone has ended? The words in the chorus “and I know that I’m drunk but I’ll say the words / and she’ll listen this time even though they’re slurred / dial her number and confess to her / I’m still in love / but all I heard was nothing” and the refrain of “I wanted words but all I heard was…nothing” are achingly beautiful in its emotional account of heartbreak.

Having trained as a biologist, I give the Script points for the lyrics in title track “Science & Faith,” insisting that love can’t be broken “down to the chemicals” and “you won’t find faith or hope down a telescope.” Words like these fall flat if there’s no melody, and with this band, you will find yourself tapping your toes to the beat. The Script turns to their more urban sound for “Walk Away,” reminiscent of “If You See Kay” or “We Cry” from their first album; this one elicits similar “raise the roof” hand gestures. The only disappointment is “Exit Wounds,” which, for dramatic purposes, tries to compare a break-up with being shot and plays with suicide and hospital themes. Despite the tenderness of the melody, it’s an unnecessarily sad ending to the album; I would have expected a more uplifting one from this band.

As a writer, I love examining and picking apart lyrics, so I appreciate words put together that actually mean something. I’ll be the first to admit the Script‘s lyrics can be cheesy and overly sappy at times, but sometimes this is the only kind of music that will do. If you loved the simple brilliance of their monster hit “Breakeven” (with the immortal and ever so true line “when a heart breaks, no, it don’t break even“), you’ll find a lot to love on Science & Faith. If you’re a newbie to the Script, give this album a spin and listen to them with an open mind. You might be surprised and find something deeper emotionally that you didn’t know you needed. Like I did.

Track Listing:
01. You Won’t Feel a Thing
02. For the First Time
03. Nothing
04. Science & Faith
05. If You Ever Come Back
06. Long Gone and Moved On
07. Dead Man Walking
08. This is Love
09. Walk Away
10. Exit Wounds

Science & Faith by the Script will be released on January 18 on Sony Music.

The Script: website | myspace | The Script – “Breakeven”

Live photos: Mary Chang

U2‘s frontman has undergone back surgery today. It is unclear if the group will have to cancel tour dates.

According to U2.com:

Bono has today undergone emergency back surgery for an injury sustained during tour preparation training. He was admitted to a specialist neuro surgery unit in a Munich hospital, and is under the care of neuro surgeon Prof. Dr. Jorg Tonn and Dr Muller Wohlfahrt. Bono will spend the next few days there, before returning home to recuperate.

Once his condition has been assessed further, a statement will be made regarding the impact on forthcoming tour dates.

It’s very hard to try and put a genre label on One Republic. They utilize almost every type of music, from R&B to alternative rock to even some reggae influences. Most people try and compare them to fellow “piano-rockers” The Fray, but that’s just it: the only similarity linking the two bands is the piano element. So the question remains on how to classify One Republic and if that’s even possible. Their display of a soulful, R&B edge mixed with a melodic rock premise distinguishes them from any other band in the music industry today. They continue to illustrate that distinction even more blatantly on their much-anticipated 2nd full length release Waking Up.

As a follow up to their extremely successful debut album, Dreaming Out Loud, Waking Up is an album carefully comprised of 11 songs that individually have a completely different, unique sound and feel than the one preceding it. The rhythmically-charged album begins with “Made for You,” a haunting melody that transitions into a soulful chorus and starts the album off strongly. It is followed by their first single “All the Right Moves,” which is destined to be an instant hit due to the numerous hooks that are filled with a mix of strings and strong drums. This effectively eerie combination is very reminiscent of Paper Route’s Absence album’s tone and feel. A few songs later listener is hit with “Everybody Loves Me,” a Beck-like album staple that is in a direct contrast to any other One Republic song on either album. It may sound strange to compare One Republic to Beck, but it strangely works.

Waking Up peaks with what has become my personal favorite song on the album, “Good Life.” It is full of rhythmically perfect beats and feel-good harmonies that have a hint of an African tribal flair. It’s the song on the album that will probably not become a single, but will be an instant fan favorite. (It was on repeat on my shuffle for two days straight.) Next up, the U2-esque title track “Waking Up” could almost be considered a 2-part song. Three minutes of the song is a fist-pumping section full of effective chanting and lead singer Ryan Tedder’s Bono-inspired voice. In a stark contrast, the 2nd half of the song moves into a solely instrumental piece with a heart-wrenching melody provided by an immaculate combination of strings and piano, immediately making the listener stop and take notice. One Republic hasn’t entirely dismissed their catchy, melodic Dreaming Out Loud roots, as is displayed with Tedder’s enchanting piano playing on tracks “Fear” and “All This Time.” The album is wrapped up with a song entitled “Lullaby.” It is an appropriate mellow counterpart and conclusion to an otherwise energetic album. It is slowed down to a relaxed pace and enters an almost trance-like state with soft guitars, Tedder’s pure voice, and gospel-like harmonies.

Looking back over the past 45 minutes makes one realize that an album that has combined elements of Paper Route, Beck and U2 (and doesn’t turn out to be a disaster) can rightfully be considered successfully unique. Dreaming Out Loud was full of effective, but safe melodies and textbook undertones, but they definitely take the edginess of their band to a whole new level on Waking Up. With an album dominated by intense drums, clean harmonies, and daring beats, the band has stepped out of their comfort zone and has further created a genre of their own. They could have written a radio-friendly, similar sounding album to Dreaming Out Loud, but they chose to try out a new sound that allowed them to grow and evolve into a new, fearless bad that is taking all the right chances.

Waking Up is a brave album that will earn the band respect from old and new fans alike.

It is streaming on MySpace now and is physically available Nov. 17.

Track Listing:
01. Made For You
02. All The Right Moves
03. Secrets
04. Everybody Loves Me
05. Missing Persons 1 & 2
06. Good Life
07. All This Time
08. Fear
09. Waking Up
10. Marchin On
11. Lullaby

One Republic: website | myspace

Written by: Sarah Hassan

For anyone who has been a rock n’ roll fan for all their lives, favoring the guitar as their instrument of choice, rocking out on the couch with an air guitar or closely touching stardom as a Guitar Hero, It Might Get Loud offers an exceptional and behind the scenes look at the electric guitar and how it has been held, shaped and molded by three prominent musicians of the past thirty years.

It Might Get Loud is a rock doc showcasing the electric guitar in the hands of Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, U2’s The Edge and The White Stripes/The Raconteurs/Dead Weather’s Jack White, and how each has utilized the instrument to shape the sound of their bands and define the use of the instrument as the centerpiece of rock. The title comes from a moment in the film where The Edge is about to shred some licks, warning us that “it might get loud for a second.”

Oscar winning director Davis Guggenheim does an excellent job in keeping the story far removed from the history of the bands and their prominence in rock lore; i.e. he avoids the sex, drugs, history, the Robert Plants and the Bonos and focuses solely on the three featured musicians and their personal histories with the guitar, what inspired them and how they came to define their respective signature styles.

The film is centered around a small, unscripted summit that takes place on a sound stage in Los Angeles, where The Edge, White and Page three musicians meet together for the first time for a very cool jam session, showcasing their talents and spontaneity, all the while throwing back and forth chatter about how they develop ideas and discussing how they created guitar riffs for some of their classic songs. Each immediately falls into their appropriates space in history: Jimmy Page is clearly the Rock God and the most proficient, the idol to the other two; The Edge takes his spot as the ever creative sideman; and Jack White is the brash young new comer trying to prove himself, evidenced by an early statement of his in the film, “I’m basically going to trick them into teaching me all their tricks.” The doc also branches out into side chapters, focusing on the story of each musician, their beginnings and growth and how they manipulate the guitar to do what they want it to do.

Jimmy Page is the soft-spoken, English gentleman, distinguished and charming in his dialogue and demeanor. He takes us through his beginnings as an extensive and highly coveted studio guitarist, his start in The Yardbirds and finally his development in Led Zeppelin. We are given insight into his self taught hard rock techniques, a tour of his record collection and the sounds that inspired him as he sings a long to some of his favorite songs and air guitars the licks. We are then blessed with a tour of the country house in which the legendary Led Zeppelin IV was recorded followed by an impromptu version of “The Battle of Evermore” on his mandolin.

The Edge takes us back to U2’s roots through a tour of their old school, the room in which they practiced, and the concrete slab outside where they played one of their first shows. We then visit his studio littered with effects electronics, laptops, showing us just how he is truly a sonic effects architect, as Page describes him. He makes a poignant note in the film that is otherwise lacking in the documentary. He plays an incredible U2 anthem riff, and then unplugs everything to show that the actual riff is in fact bare bones, uninspiring and hardly worth note. It highlights exactly how he is able to turn that basic sound into something incredible, which shows why a guitarist himself is responsible for the sound on his instrument.

Jack White’s story takes us back to his Tennessee roots, how he prefers minimalism and despises the use of technology on such an instrument, all the while showing us that you need not more than a piece of wood, some wire, nails and a coke bottle to make an electric guitar. His intensity is displayed in concert footage whereby he strums the hell out of his guitar so hard that his hands bleed, red pouring all over his six string, while he continues to passionately drive the wires till the end of the tune.

The highlight of the film is the summit where the three meet, discuss and play and we note the personalities of all. Page steals the spotlight with his character and ability to play the guitar as an extension of himself, effortless, as if it’s another arm. The Edge is the modest instrumentalist, while White is the most aggressive bundled with the most attitude and urgency to show his worth. A smile inducing moment is that no matter how successful and prolific The Edge and White may be, when Page starts ripping out “Whole Lotta Love”, the other two grin like little boys, awe inspired by the Guitar God they have always idolized.

The film succeeds aesthetically as well, from featuring old concert footage, photos, and amazing close ups of various guitars, at smooth angles and vibrant colors, dents and bruises of love and use, broken strings and shining perspiration. It Might Get Loud is a light and insightful look at the electric guitar from three of it’s greatest handlers, that any rock aficionado or musician alike will take pleasure in.

Watch the trailer:

It Might Get Loud opens tomorrow, Friday, August 14, 2009.

It Might Get Loud: website | show times