(free legal stream here)
With a single that's been out since July 1st, Flyleaf's fourth album (featuring vocalist Kristen May in her first studio album with the band) released last Tuesday. I really can't say I'm a huge fan of the band, so between that and Flyleaf's decent level of popularity I figured this would be a good point to start what I hope to be a consistent thing on. Their radio singles tend to be enjoyable, but entire albums feel inconsistent to me, with tracks that blow the chosen singles away and others that are completely underwhelming, though so far I'm reasonably impressed with the new tunes.

The album starts with Set Me on Fire, the single released a while ago, which (big surprise) sounds like every other Flyleaf song on the radio just with a different vocalist. This sets up expectations which (for better or worse) are broken by the time you're halfway through. Early on I wasn't too sure of the new frontwoman. In Magnetic all I could think was that she sounded twelve, and while that definitely worked for Anette Olzon for her time with Nightwish (to say it's not always a bad thing), it's just not working here with the band's musical tone.

Enter, Platonic: the albums fourth track. This is where I think the sound starts to shift for the most part, going from made-for-radio hard rock to slightly more pop-rock, starting a trend in which the album gets progressively lighter in my mind, and more melodic instrumentals are prevalent in the clean verses. Head Underwater and Sober Serenade definitely embody this change before we hit Thread, what I consider the album's only true forgettable and "would skip over" song with no redeeming qualities. By now we definitely can rest assured that these tracks all follow the same soft verse - heavy chorus- verse- chorus - bridge- chorus pattern and that combined with Kristen's voice makes me think I'm listening to a radio Disney band... but a decent one, like KSM. 

Finally, a break. Marionette and Well of Lies, the album's two strongest tracks in my opinion. Finally we have a musical style that compliments Kristen perfectly. The tracks come across as a more early 2000's influenced alternative than Flyleaf's hard rock roots, with plenty of fill and ambiance, and wait, do I hear fuzz bass in the verse of the latter? Oh yes, I think I do. If there's a shining gem on this album, then it's definitely Well. Unfortunately, this leaves the remaining three tracks a tad understated, for while they continue to go in a direction comparable to an odd mix of the Killers and Smashing Pumpkins, they don't do it as well. In the case of City Kids, I think it's because the song just needed to be longer. It's a solid song, but needed more than a four minute run time. Blue Roses (while a lovely song) seems like Orianthi meets early Demi Lovato, and I'm not sure how I like that. It seems like the further this album goes, the less it sounds like what I thought Flyleaf was, and once again, Home just feels too short to me. Maybe I've just been listening to too much power metal and long, rambling, country western songs...

What we have here is an interesting album with what seems to be an odd arrangement of tracks but ends with a glimmer of hope for the future of this band. By the end of it all, I'm rather enjoying Kristen's vocals, but at the same time I wonder if she can sing all of Lacey's old songs on tour with the same power. Overall, for better or for worse, Kristen's introduction to the band has me interested in what comes from the future, and this is an album I'd actually recommend to people. She's no Florence Welch, but she's got a voice.


Thanks for reading, and feel free to tell me if you hated the album, lol. If you've got any recommendations for a band to do in the future, let me know. I'm not doing this just for myself, after all.

Now we just wait for Cheat to move this...

The album starts with Set Me on Fire,

some pendulum plagiarism up in here

Quote from: DAS B00T x2 on September 22, 2014, 05:51:09 PM

The album starts with Set Me on Fire,

some pendulum plagiarism up in here

lol
It's been the title of a track for a few different bands by now.

Quote from: DAS B00T x2 on September 22, 2014, 06:00:58 PM

Quote from: Ember on September 22, 2014, 05:58:07 PM

Quote from: DAS B00T x2 on September 22, 2014, 05:51:09 PM

The album starts with Set Me on Fire,

some pendulum plagiarism up in here

lol
It's been the title of a track for a few different bands by now.

don't take me seriously goy

CAN'T SHILL ME, JIDF!

I liked a few songs from them but I cant say I like the band. Just never got interested in the band. Nice review though.