My review of the new album Options

[NectarDan]

I had the privelage of listening to the new album, so I thought I would write a review and share it with all of you. First, I have to say that the tracks that leaked last year were unmixed demos, some of which had different lyrics. Now on to my review...

1) The River - Not a big fan of this song, esepcially with all the "la la la's" in it, but it does seem to have a pretty good flow to it

2) Mystery - The bridge doesn't seem to fit into the song very well, and I wished Ed didn't sing the word "mystery" so high.

3) Get Ready - Reminds me of anthemic type of song, sort of like "They Stood Up For Love. I can see this song being a fan favorite and being played in concert on the upcoming tour. The acoustic guitar suits the song perfectly, and the tiny solo near the end sounds great.

4) Show - I wasn't a big fan of this song when the demo first leaked, but I guess it has grown on me some. Unfortunately, it's probably the heaviest song on the album.

5) Wings - This is the point at which I start wondeirng if I'm even to listening to Live anymore, because it doesn't sound like them (it's very "poppy"). Very cheesy chorus line, too ("could be the wings").

6) Sofia - Nice guitar intro and great song overall. Some of the lyrics are pretty cheesy, but it's probably my favorite song on the album. The tiny guitar riff/solo near the end is pleasant as well.

7) Love Shines - Not liking the "ooooohhhh" intro or the song that much for that matter. Too much use of the word "shines" throughout the song. The outro is not pleasant either, especially with Ed trying to reach those unreachable high notes again. Another very "poppy" song.

8) Where Do We Go From Here - Starts off with a good beat and rhythm that remains constant throughout the whole song. Some nice riffing action by Chad as well. My only beef is that as the bridge ends, Chad plays a riff that sounds exactly like the one featured on Metallica's "Fade To Black" - I know everyone will know exactly what I'm talking about when it comes to this point in the song. Aside from that and Ed trying to add his falsetto touch at the end, it's a pretty good song overall.

9) Home - Sounds like a rip-off of "What Are We Fighting For?" - even has that silence before the chorus kicks in. Not a fan of this one at all.

10) All I Need - As soon as the guitar intro begins, you know that this song is going to be very "poppy". Another happy, poppy, love song. I begin to wonder again if this is actually Live I'm listening to.

11) You Are Not Alone - Begins with a promising intro riff that sounds like it could have easily come from Elton Johns "The Bitch is Back", but quickly turns into another happy, poppy song. Are you sure this is Live?

12) Night Of Nights - I like how there is a change in rhythm right before the chorus kicks in each time, but can't really get into the song that much. Not as poppy as the previous 2 songs, but too much mentioning of "love" to really do anything for me.

Overall, I'd have to say this album sounds like "Birds Of Pray" older sister, with much more of a Pop feel and less rocking. I guess it's kind of hard to write a non-Pop album when almost all the lyrics deal with love and happiness though. The production seems to be very similiar to BOP too. There really aren't any stand-out tracks like "Like I Do" on this one though, unfortunately. Highlights include "Sofia", "Get Ready", and "Where Do We Go From Here". Too many dull moments to list, frankly. I did take into fact that Live went into the studio trying to make a pop record - and I am fine with that - but I just don't think that they sound good doing this type of music. Maybe it's just that I'm not a big fan of pop music in general - so many of you may have drastically different opinions that that of mine. I just wish that Live could have put some of the vibrant energy so evident in their live show on this album - it just yearns for some heavier music and rougher lyrics, but sadly it doesn't seem to get any help.