Alive, Only for those who have actually listened to it please! Options

[SinfulEyes]

Tell me.

[ItchyTriggerFinger]

I'm going to be as fair as I can and try and think of this as a new band that just happens to have a singer that sounds like the former lead singer of my favorite band. I'm skipping the tracks I've heard before in full.

Drive: Catchy song, the lyrics don't do so much for me. I like the overall sound but the drumming is a negative on this song, it's just too bland. Ramy needed to spice it up a little, get a little more drive behind his drums to really push this song.

The Great Beyond: This is my least favorite song on the album by a mile. Ed's trying to do something a bit different with the beat and guitar work in the verses but it just doesn't jive with me. However, as a plus Ramy is better on this song then he is on many of the others. I think the "dance beat" Ed brought up in one of his interviews fits his contribution to this track well and is a good niche for him.

Stand: It's ok. The instrumental work at the beginning makes a promise that the chorus just can't live up to, which is a shame. I can see this being a radio single in the future depending on the success of Grace. It would fit well within the confines of the AC stations.

Drink: I've heard the full version acoustic, but not with the whole band. I have to say, the acoustic version was better, though I'm not a fan of either version. The song isn't for me, but I can see this becoming a favorite with Ed's fanbase.

In Your Light: After hearing the whole track I still think this is the most logical choice for Ed's second single. The lyrics are too schmaltzy for my tastes but I think it would do well on the AC radio or Christian rock radio. It's got a good beat, bright guitars, and Ed sounds convincing, albeit overly saccharine.

Just in Time: Second worst on the album. Just way too bland. The lyrics are trademark 2000s Ed but the instrumental work is just bland. I find myself forgetting this song very quickly when played alongside any of the other tracks on the album.

Rome: I had higher hopes for this song from the clip. It's better then most of the previous tracks, in my opinion, but the lyrics weigh it down. The bridge lyrics particularly are just odd, and not quirky fun odd. The guitars are much better in this song though then in most, props to the guys for that. The guitars and the chorus carry this song.

Soul Whispers: This song I still enjoy. Again, lyrics aren't quite my thing (sweet like a blackbird against the night sky...?) but it's musically distinct. The pacing alone makes you remember it amongst the other tracks but it's got a good drive behind it. Feels like it's building to something (much like many Live songs) and keeps you interested till the end. A solid song.

Fire on the Mountain: I think Ed wanted to have a nice chill song to end the album, and to an extent he gets what he wants. It's not exciting, or particularly memorable, it's just kind of there. It feels like it could have been stronger but I can't put my finger on what it's exactly missing. Perhaps if Ed hadn't been licking the sweat off the feverish girl's back the lyrics would have held better but I'm just not sure.

Overall I voted for somewhere between. This isn't an awful album by any means when viewed as it's own event (rather then an extension of Live) but it's certainly not great either. It has one awful song (TGB), a few "meh" songs (JIT, FotM), and many pleasant but otherwise forgettable tracks. I think Ed should lean on Drive, Grace and Stand for his live shows with the full band, they'd play well in concert. In Your Light would make a decent single, but I don't think it'd quite carry in most concert settings, though it would really depend on what venue he was at. This is an easy listening, psuedo christian rock CD and should be treated as such (which for some fans is disgusting and others exciting).

If I were Ed, for the next album I'd push more towards the AC side and less towards the Christian Rock side. Surprising as it may sound, I think he has stiffer airplay competition on the latter side. Amongst the likes of "Hey Soul Sister" and "September" he's got a shot at finding a steady spot whereas Skillet would kick his ass and steal his lunch money (which is kind of sad in it's own way).

Your experience seems to have meshed pretty well with my own.