Review Summary: With this second album, A Static Lullaby is taking a different way that doesn't suit them well at all. They got maturity but still need some to do that kind of stuff and being credible.
It took three years to A Static Lullaby to release their second album in 2005, Faso Latido. For all this time of work, I have to admit that I was expecting a lot more of this quintet. In fact, the successor of …And don’t forget to breathe is pretty deceiving.
The album starts with an overture of 1:12 witch is a bit too long in my opinion but is still interesting even if it has completely nothing to do with the old ASL. And this strange mix of piano, violin and weird effects is kind of a warning to the rest of the album: this is gonna be completely different. And at this point, you can’t tell if it’s for the best or the worst.
So starts “Smooth modulator”, witch is one of the best good song on the album, that is soon going to be ruin by the rest. The first thing I noticed when I heard this song was the really great improvement that Joe did on his voice, witch really help the listening of the songs. The screaming is also a lot better, thanks technology. The guitar riffs are cool, I’m glad to hear something else then their damn power-chords who were a lot too present on the previous album. So here ends the song and I’m yeah, cool, they really improve themselves. Wrong!
Cause here starts one of the most horrible songs I’ve heard in my entire life. I should have been aware by the oh so original title, ”Stand up”. The verse really didn’t give me an amazing impression, but things really get bad at the pre-chorus, while Joe sings with all his heart this insipid line “The hills have become your idols, the hills have become your idols”. If you find out that it really means something intelligent, please, let me know, I’ll be glad for them. But the chorus’s what really killed me: “Stand up, we’re falling back again!”. I feel like I’m listening to a Simple Plan song and I’m very sad for the money I’ve just spend. I knew I really hated this song before writing this review but I’ve just listened to it to refresh my memory, and it’s even worst then I was remembering.
“Radio flyer’s last journey” isn’t much better, but everything seems good after this terrifying moment. In fact, this song is just a little less miserable. And I can’t say if this breakdown is actually good or horrible. Maybe just in between.
“Cash Cowbell”. The verse was actually cool before it got ruined by this cheesy chorus. “Do you want to feel, like the knife is in you, do you want to feel, a swiss army proposition”. Well this is actually makes me wanna laugh. Sad that the chorus screw the song up, cause otherwise, this would have been a pretty good song; the transitions are great as the riffs and the general sound of it.
“Half Man, Half Shark; Equals one complete Gentleman”, tough the title had already turned me off, this is a good song. The drummer also improve himself with this album and it’s appearing on this song. The chorus is really less trying-to-be-catchy-but horribly-isn’t then on the others tracks, witch is the worst thing of this album I think.
“Shotgun!” is interesting for the spoken part and the ambiance of the song in general. “Calmer than you are” is also a pretty good song, more in the mood of “Smooth Modulator”. In general, the anthem thing really bugs me out, but this one is different and actually good. For an anthem tough.
Well this one’s gotta be good, cause it actually gave it’s name to the album. Again spoken parts, witch I do not hate. But we’re at billions years of the old Static and that’s what will probably disappoint a lot of fans.
“God bless you(goddamn it)” will be describe in one word: ordinary.
“Marilyn Monrobot” is surely one of the worst title I’ve ever seen. Seriously! It’s so pathetic that I can’t even laugh at it. The song is a bit better then it’s title but like always on this album, it’s the chorus that kill it all. The breakdown was very good. “Modern day fire” started good, the bass is nice in the verse. And I really don’t want to talk about those choruses anymore. Why, why, why did they did this!!
“The Jesus haircut”. I really hope this is an inside joke or something, cause again, not a terrific title. The lyrics in generals are not so great at all anyway. This anthem thing is too much, you can’t do this to me two times in six songs. “Praise! ***! Destroy!” Jeez, those guys can actually do better then that.
And that’s what’s so frustrating about the album. They really could have done better. The maturity they got is really palpable on this second album, but they just didn’t had enough to get into this kind of stuff. And what result of it is something very bad that could actually have been pretty good. Because there’s a lot of good stuff in those songs. But it is always ruin by the empty, already heard, horribly non-catchy choruses. That’s what kill it all and it’s too bad cause these guys really got potential. They just didn’t exploited it the right way here.
