2006 marks the release of the Goo Goo Dolls' latest album, Let Love In. It is their first since Gutterflower in 2002. The band had some successful hits from Gutterflower, but the band is mostly famous for their 1998 smash hit album Dizzy Up the Girl. Many casual fans may not know, but this band had punk influences from their beginnings in the late 80s. They "mainstreamed" their sound a bit for Dizzy Up the Girl and they have been going further in that direction ever since, including this album.
The Goo Goo Dolls are:
John Rzeznik – Guitar/Lead Vocals
Robby Takac – Bass/Vocals
Mike Malinin – Drums
1. Stay With You - This is actually the 3rd single off of this album, but the other two were released last year. It is a decent enough opener and from the very beginning you can clearly recognize that this is the Goo Goo Dolls. It is an upbeat song with lyrics similar to "Slide" off of Dizzy Up the Girl (which is a better song). It was a good choice for a single because it is easily recognizable, but it isn't any better than anything the band has made before. (3.5/5)
2. Let Love In - This song starts off kind of strangely with an electric guitar part followed by an acoustic guitar and a synthesizer. Once again, this is your typical Goo Goo Dolls song, although it is better than “Stay With You”. The chorus is heartfelt with some good meaning behind it. At the end of the song, the guitar part is the same as the intro. Overall a good song: probably the next single. (4/5)
3. Feel the Silence – The first time I listened to this song, I wasn’t sure if it was the same as “Let Love In” or not. Seriously, it is the same tempo with the same basic formula. Once I got past that, though this song wasn’t horrible. This song is about a troubled relationship where the two don’t understand each other. The backing vocals during the chorus kind of annoy me, although the lyrics are good. The guitar part behind the chorus is simple, but uplifting. (3/5)
4. Better Days - This is the only Goo Goo Dolls single ever that I did not like the first time I heard it. It has sort of grown on me since it was released in 2005 (such a long time ago) The song has a nice enough message behind it, that the world needs to change, but the song isn't spectacular. This song has John Rzeznik’s best lyrics on the album so far, though. The orchestration is a nice touch, but to be honest, I probably would have liked this better as an acoustic song. (3.5/5)
5. Without You Here – This song starts off with the line “Your love’s a gathered storm…” I guess that storms are a common theme in the lyrics on this album, seeing that they have been mentioned in “Stay With You” and “Feel the Silence” so far. Anyway, I do not really care for this song. This is just a basic “I miss you” song. When the drums come in it gets better, but this song doesn’t really make me want to listen that far into it. (2.5/5)
6. Listen – Ooh, Robby only gets two songs on this album. I must say, I am not the biggest fan of his, but with an unusual sub-par performance from John Rzeznik, Robby looks much better than normal. His themes are usually very generic, but after the boring “Without You Here”, this song is a nice change of tempo. This is probably the catchiest guitar part on the album so far. The only complaint I have is that the chorus feels broken up and out of place. (3/5)
7. Give A Little Bit – This is unquestionably the best song on the album. That doesn’t say much for the Goo Goo Dolls, though, because this is a cover. This picks it up well after the monotony of the first 6 songs with an uplifting acoustic guitar part and uplifting lyrics. This song is a perfect fit for this band and if you only listen to one song from this album, I would suggest this one. (4.5/5)
8. Can’t Let It Go – Yes!! John has finally done it. This is his best original song on this album. The acoustic-based songs by the Goo Goo Dolls are their best. This song is about a breakup that he can’t get over. The best lines on the album are “I was your anger and you were my fear” and “But you were no angel and I was no sin.” (4.5/5)
9. We’ll Be Here (When You’re Gone) – All right, this string of 3 songs is the best on the album. The lyrics are so good that I don’t know what they are about. I’m sure there is some great significance behind them, but I just can’t put my finger on it. This song sounds like it would fit in well on Gutterflower. (4/5)
10. Strange Love – Although it is not as great as the previous three, this song continues the trend of good ones on the album. Robby has written some of his best lyrics on this song. The chorus is kind of broken up, like his other song on here, but it sounds better in this song. (3.5/5)
11. Become – This is sort of the Goo Goo Dolls’ version of a rock anthem. When the guitar came in 56 seconds into the song, it reminded me of a Queen song for some reason. Of course, that was just for those few notes. It quiets down after that and molds into a nice love song with lyrics typical of John Rzeznik. It keeps you interested throughout the song, which is more than can be said about most of the other songs on here. It is a nice ending to the album. (4/5)
This album is a strange one because it starts off weak and finishes strong, unlike what I am accustomed to. I liked it, but the first six songs can be a rocky start at first. My overall opinion is that if you started listening to the Goo Goo Dolls after Dizzy Up the Girl, then you will probably like this album. But, fans from earlier than 1998 may not like this as much.
Recommended Songs:
Give A Little Bit
Can't Let It Go
Become
3.5/5
