Review Summary: The emo, hardcore, pop, punk masterpiece.
I was ready to get over The Used. Sure, we had a good run, but it seemed like it was finally time for us to part ways. With their self-titled debut and In Love and Death, we had formed a good relationship that I thoroughly enjoyed. In high school I even bought their hoodie with a big skull on the front although the rest of my clothing attire consisted of nothing that could be labeled “emo”. This was the kind of commitment I had to The Used. However, through the years each of us changed. My musical tastes broadened (especially with my discovery that music without screaming in it could in fact be good) and The Used began to morph into a band that I felt like I did not know anymore with their release of Lies For The Liars. Sure, the album wasn’t bad or unworthy of any praise, but it just wasn’t the same. I really thought that it was the album that had begun the imminent separation of The Used and myself. A few more years have gone by since our relationship became strained and I really thought that a couple listens to Artwork would end it for good. But then something happened that completely caught me off-guard. I listened to Artwork streaming on the band’s myspace and I could not get enough of it. So then I ventured out on the day of its release and bought it, and a week later I still cannot get enough of it. Is this the start of something beautiful? No, it is the rebirth of a relationship I once thought to be lost.
One thing that is always consistent on any given album of The Used is a killer opening track. Although Lies For The Liars was at many times a forgettable album, the opener entitled “The Ripper” was a song that punched you right in the mouth and left you begging for more, but regrettably you were still begging for more at the end of the album. On their latest album, The Used open with another awesome opening track, but this time back it up with ten more solid, well-written songs. As much as I want to dislike a song called “Blood On My Hands” that opens an album with a mammoth of a needle named “Art” inscribing the word “work” into a wrist as the cover art, I with full certainty cannot say I do. “Blood On My Hands” shows The Used at their best with a driving guitar riff at the intro that ignites into a blast of what can only be described as an “emo anthem” led by McCracken’s unmistakable vocals that range from sounding raw and gritty to downright angelic.
The song I really think that saves Artwork from becoming another album with a couple solid singles intermixed with a bunch of filler tracks is the second track. After “Blood On My Hands”, it would be easy for The Used to put in a no-brainer song that would only serve as a bridge to the next track worth listening to. Instead, “Empty Without You” keeps Artwork right on track with what is certainly the catchiest chorus on the album and really showcases McCracken’s voice, which in the end is really the core of The Used.
Ok, so the album starts with two excellent songs, but the third one has to be some kind of a let down right? WRONG. Keeping up with the high standards of the first two tracks, “Born To Quit” is another well-crafted song that easily could have been the first single off of Artwork instead of “Blood On My Hands”. This is then followed by the beautiful ballad “Kissing You Goodbye”, which offers a nice change of pace on the album with some really nice piano that leads into a powerful bridge with the entire band.
Musically there is nothing that really stands out on Artwork. The guitar parts are not technical by any means, and the drums and bass never stand out on their own. What drives the album is the craftsmanship of each song that has undoubtedly come with the maturity of The Used over the years. Yes, the lyrics are very “emo” sounding at times, and the song titles appear extremely melodramatic, but what can be picked up on after only a couple listens of this album is that McCracken is completely sincere with everything that he writes, and this sincerity is really what drives the band. Many people could play the instrumental parts of the songs, but no one else could write them because in the end, they are just damn good songs. One day I am sure I will be ready to quit The Used, but for now I think I will give this relationship another try.
