Hey guys, and welcome back to my blog for another album review! I have no occasion for reviewing this album, I just am because I think I know every song on it so it should be an easy one to knock out. And since I'm running out of ideas for songs and albums to review, please feel free to suggest any albums or songs for me to review, as I will not turn down anything. That said, let's start on this review.
INTRODUCTION
Days Go By is the ninth and most recent studio album by punk rock band The Offspring. This Bob Rock-produced album was released on June 26, 2012, despite being originally planned for a 2010 release. There were three singles released from this album, which were, in order: the title track, "Cruising California (Bumpin' In My Trunk)", and "Turning Into You", the former of which was a top ten alternative hit in the U.S. Other notable tracks off of the album include the eighth track, "OC Guns", which has sort of a Mariachi vibe to it, and the ninth track, a re-recorded and remastered version off of "Dirty Magic" from their 1992 album Ignition. The album sold 24,000 copies in its first week of release, but it received generally mixed reviews from different critics. So which side will I take in rating this album? Let's look into it and see.
REVIEW
This album's sound is significantly different from their previous album, 2007's Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace, and from their music in general. But to say the least, I enjoy this sound. But here's what they're doing with it. Basically, music of this decade has gone through two big phases: the dance-pop phase, which lasted from the very late 2000s to around 2013 or so, and the trap phase, which began in about 2016 and is at its peak today. And these two trends have one thing in common: they rely on computer generated instruments, like synthesizers and programmed drums, rather than real ones. From listening to this album quite a few times, I can tell that The Offspring are trying their best to stick with the new trends, but keep their old stuff at the same time. They did it perfectly, and I admire that.
As for the songs and single choices for the album, I don't necessarily think that the singles are the best songs off of the album, but they do feel like good choices. This album's title track, which was the lead single in the U.S. and the most commercially successful one, is a great choice for a single in my opinion, not only because it's pretty good, but because it feels very radio-friendly. "Cruising California" is also a great song and single choice, because it feels like something that the general public would enjoy hearing, and I think The Offspring were a good choice to make it. As far as "Turning Into You" goes, it's a good song, but not single-worthy in my opinion. On an average album, it might have been a cool single, but this album is not average. The thing I enjoy about it is that there are so many hidden gems in this album, and I would've much rather those be released as singles instead of something like "Turning Into You". We'll get into what those are in a minute. But yeah, I think that although this album does feel like a three-single one, the last choice could've been something better, and I wouldn't mind a single other than "Cruising California" either. So yeah.
And now back to what I said before, one of my favorite things about this album is that they try to make a combination of what's popular and what they are used to doing/what people are used to hearing from them. The most notable songs on this album that are like that are the last two singles. There's also a pattern I notice with the guitars that you hear here, which is that they sound more computer-generated than real. That is just cool. And there are lots of songs with that, such as "The Future Is Now", "Secrets From The Underground", and "I Wanna Secret Family (With You)". And I notice a pattern here, because these three songs really help define the album in my opinion. But are there any other songs that define it in a different way, or will these three remain as some of my favorites? Well, it's time to determine that by looking into each track.
TRACK-BY-TRACK REVIEWS
1. "The Future Is Now"
Rating: 10/10
Comments: This is the perfect track to open up the album. No song could've done it better.
2. "Secrets From The Underground"
Rating: 10/10Comments: Honestly, I can't describe in one little description how much I love this song. It just has everything I need in it. Awesome guitars, awesome vocals, and an insanely high energy level combined together is something I need every day. And it looks I found just that.
3. "Days Go By"
Rating: 9/10
Comments: Really good lead single choice. It's not the best song off of the album, but it is nice to listen to every now and then.
4. "Turning Into You"
Rating: 8.5/10
Comments: Okay single choice. I just feel like more could be added to this song.
5. "Hurting As One"
Rating: 9/10
Comments: It sounds like a slightly better version of "Turning Into You" to me. I enjoy that.
6. "Cruising California (Bumpin' In My Trunk)"
Rating: 10/10
Comments: I know you heard that bass bumpin' in my trunk...
7. "All I Have Left Is You"
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: One of the real hidden gens from this album. Except it's a little too hidden, as I forget that it exists sometimes.
8. "OC Guns"
Rating: 8/10
Comments: The Mariachi style present in this song is nice, but it's not enough to make this song great.
9. "Dirty Magic"
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: I actually like this version better than the Ignition version for some reason. It feels more clean and well-produced. But either way, this song is really chill and really cool for just relaxing.
10. "I Wanna Secret Family (With You)"
Rating: 10/10
Comments: The guitar riff really gets me here. That and the great chorus makes this song as good as it is.
11. "Dividing By Zero"
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: Just like "All I Have Left Is You", I think this is a great hidden gem from this album, but slightly too hidden, as it's a little forgettable for me.
12. "Slim Pickens Does The Right Thing And Rides The Bomb To Hell"
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: This was one of the highlights off of the album for me when I first got into it. While it's not as sticky for me now, I still enjoy it a lot.
ALBUM RANKDOWN
1. "Secrets From The Underground"
2. "The Future Is Now"
3. "Cruising California (Bumpin' In My Trunk)"
4. "I Wanna Secret Family (With You)"
5. "Slim Pickens Does The Right Thing And Rides The Bomb To Hell"
6. "All I Have Left Is You"
7. "Dividing By Zero"
8. "Dirty Magic"
9. "Days Go By"
10. "Hurting As One"
11. "Turning Into You"
12. "OC Guns"
OVERALL SCORE
112.5/120 = 9.375/10 = 0.9375 = 93.75%
FINAL WORDS
Overall, this album is amazing! The hidden gems and new sound do a great job of holding it up and making it compare to all of their classic albums. It's not their best album, but it's in my top five for sure. If you're looking for some music to discover, but better enjoy stuff from this decade, then this album is for you. Rock fan or not, it is very likeable. You can listen to it on Spotify here or on YouTube here.
And that note brings this review to a close. I'd like to thank anyone for reading this, and if you want to see me review something of your choice, I will do so, you just have to let me know of something you'd like to see me review, and I'll do it. Don't be afraid, just go for it. But until my next review, that's it, and I'll see you guys next time! Thanks again!
Nice post
ReplyDeleteThank you!
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