First things first. I REALLY like LP, so don't call me a fanboy or anything. LP is actually what got me interested into the music scene, and my first rock album that I got was Reanimation for Christmas. So please. Don't harrass me with fanboy posts.
You probably don't really care much about the history of LP. I don't either. So I'm just going to jump right into the review here.
Foreword:
This is absoulutely nothing. Just a few seconds of noise. I'm not even going to rate it.
Don't Stay:
After what feels like a pretty bad first impression on the album, LP comes out gunning with a pretty heavy song (even for their standards). The song title pretty much tells you what it's about - telling someone "don't stay". Anyway, the song opens with a catchy guitar riff to get you pumped for the burst of overdrive that follows. The guitars quiet down for Chester's singing of the first verse, in which every line starts with, "Sometimes I...". After a few lines, the song bursts into a really awesome chorus that will pretty surely get stuck in your head. Everything about this chorus is great, from the lyrics (Don't stay/forget our memories/forget our possibilities...) to the pounding guitars that will keep you headbanging for the whole song. After a while, the song gets repetitive and sort of boring. That doesn't stop this from being really good, though.
4.5/5
Somewhere I Belong:
Wow. Great song here folks. Great verses, good chorus, and amazing bridge. This song opens very differently than the last track, with a lot of electronic effects, that goes into some echoed scratching. After about 25-30 seconds, Chester begins to sing the verse. The lyrics in this song are very cleverly written, and sound very good when Chester sings them. The guitars are only in the chorus, the bridge, and the outro, so this is a pretty calm song but still good for the nu-metal fan.
5/5
Lying From You:
Going back to heavy songs now. This song starts out similarly to Somewhere I Belong, but then jumps into a huge guitar riff that will probably make you jump if you're listening to this at a high volume. This song is very similar to Don't Stay, and follows roughly the same path as the first "real" track does. It's heavier than Don't Stay, and the screams are way better than DS'. Overall this is a great song. The intro is great and the verses are excellent. The chorus is a bit weak, however, which sort of drags down this song a little.
4.5/5
Hit The Floor:
This is the albums first weak track. I was in love with it when I first heard it but then I started to realize its slight stupidity (no offense to those whose like it). The opening is very gothic and dark. This song is once again a lot like DS, except for the insane screaming in the chorus. Overall this song is very weak, and sounds a lot like a filler track.
2.5/5
Easier to Run:
Another weak track by LP. However, this song is different than DS and HTF. There is a few seconds of sound, and then the whole band comes in, singing and all. I can't really describe if this song is heavy or not. It's not as calm as SIB, but not as heavy as HTF or even DS. Even though it's different, it's still weak, a minor disappointment for LP. Don't worry though. It's still better than Hit The Floor.
3/5
Faint:
After two weak songs, LP comes back out with their second big hit, Faint. Even though it still follows the same path as DS, the song is a lot more fast paced and upbeat. The song starts out with a really cool electronic sound effect that goes high and low. The rapping in the verses is awesome, too. The choruses are great, but the bridge isn't too good, and doesn't fit well with the song. Other than that, the song is really good and everything fits together perfectly.
5/5
Figure.09:
This is my favorite song on the album. The song fits together so well. I've always really liked heavier songs, so this song really appealed to me when I first heard it. Everything is quiet before the music starts, with a small gutar riff and what sounds like someone tapping on a china lamp shade with a stick. After that, the song explodes into a louder version of the previous riff. Yes - that's a good thing. The song once again follows the same path that DS does, but is still strong and enjoyable the whole way through.
5/5
Breaking The Habit:
Ay, another single. This song does deserve to be a single though. I personally wouldn't call this song a rock song, but more of a rap or electronica song (with words). There is some pretty cool stacatto notes in the background of the verse, and a really cool violin in the chorus. You've more than likely heard this song somewhere, so I really don't need to explain it more.
5/5
From The Inside:
This song sounds almost exactly the same as Don't Stay. Really. It's just heavier in parts and the screaming bridge is louder. Read the Don't Stay review and you should get the idea of what this song sounds like. Still a great song though.
4.5/5
Nobody's Listening:
Whoa! A FLUTE?!?!?!? How could LP put a shining band instrument into a nu-metal song? I guess they were inspired by Jethro Tull. I'm not saying it sounds bad though. It actually sounds really, really unique and cool. The song is more focused on rapping (and the flute). The song's title pretty much sums up what it's about. The song is fairly heavy and pretty dark (blood, sweat and tears...NOBODY'S LISTENING!). The song gets really repetitve after a while, but there is no screaming, no insane, KoRN-style bridge. The song is really unique and well done.
5/5
Session:
This is like an extended version of the Foreword, except that it isn't someone breaking a window (weird...). This song made me thought my
Walkman was skipping when I first listened to it. An okay instrumental, but doesn't even come close to Cure For The Itch on Hybrid Theory.
3.5/5
Numb:
The last single, and last track. This song is awesome and calm. However, you may get bored of it since radio stations CONSTANTLY play it. The song is like BTH and SIB, with a lot of electronic effects. There is a lot more guitar work in this song than the previous singles (except for Faint, which I don't even think is a single). The song is rather upbeat and the lyrics are pretty good again. (I've/become so numb/I can't feel you there...). A great closing song to this great album.
4.5/5
That was it! That is my first review and I could really use some criticism when I write my next one. Feel free to give me advice. Thanks for reading it too!
