Review Summary: Conditions seem to be able to conform to the mainstream rock rulebook without anyone noticing..
First things first, I'll be frank. I was introduced to this band through Kerrang! magazine [UK] and read up on them, and decided to check them out. What I found, was a medley of passable ballads, memorable anthems, but one killer song that for me, is the only reason I come back to this album.
The first 3 songs on this album seem a little generic and lyrically unstable, and while this is pretty much the statndard these days, it's a shame because some people will judge the entire album upon the opening tracks. It's not that they are terrible, or even bad; just forgettable.
For me, the album starts properly on track 5, Make Them Remember. Whether the lyrics were written by a different person, or group of people (since this is the only album I have reviewed that I do not physically own, I downloaded from iTunes so I do not have the lyric sheet) is a mystery to me, but there is a definite difference. It's catchy in its own right, it has a flow and a beautiful sound. The same goes for the next track, Keeping Pace With Planes, which, for me, has a superb lyric in that I can relate to-
"The closest thing for me at heart, is the furthest thing away to touch"
Comfort Far Away is also intricately written, beautifully sung and one of the more enjoyable parts of this album.
However, there is one song on this album that does not have it's place at number 9...it should be the opener to the album, because Miss America, for me, is one of the best songs I have ever heard from a band of this genre and premise. It's the heaviest on the album, it's the best written song by a mile, and you will find yourself singing it all day if you're not careful.
Overall, this album serves it's purpose and fills it's pre-determined gap already made by the genre. Conditions have been able to fit in quite snugly, but also, they have been able to shine due to the couple of songs that make this album a good listening experience.
