Review Summary: Getting away with...another alternative album.
Papa Roach are an easy target for unenthusiastic remarks. They aren't contributing to a sharp decline in the music industry, nor have they ever led a rise in quality. In other words: they're but one more alternative group. Like their siblings, however, they've released a few singles which have helped them gain popularity thanks to the "another overplayed single" syndrome applying. As it turns out, one of those songs ("Scars") appeared on their 2004 studio album
Getting Away with Murder, making it a worthwhile candidate for nostalgic evaluation.
Although the band might be held in a more-than-lackluster light by more experienced listeners, uninitiated audiences would likely argue them as a bit darker than some of the groups they're played alongside. This difference is certainly worth noting (if without being a deal-breaker), with the bass guitar in the title track showing a more driven side to their sound and nicely demonstrating this quality. It's unfortunate then that the rest of the album doesn't take a similar approach. Instead, most of the songs taste closer to a straightforward dinner at-home. The good news is that while tracks such as "Be Free" and "Tyranny of Normality" slump in a tired approach, everything else functions on an enjoyable level. A couple strong points can be found, helping to compensate the weaker points. "Not Listening" manages to be the perfect demonstration of what could be accomplished if the band worked to their apparent strengths thanks to its energy holding up well today.
Getting Away with Murder is essentially an average to above-average alternative rock album that clearly caters to a more average teen audience. What's reassuring is that the music can still be listened to with occasionally fond thoughts even after over half a decade. Papa Roach have never been one to deliver in fast and prime shape, but they don't leave the package unattended under the heavier weights. There's enough present here to bring former listeners back without too many tracks that feel like complete filler.
