Review Summary: Thirty Seconds to Mars create some of their best songs yet!
Love, Lust, Faith, and Dreams is Thirty Seconds to Mars’ fourth studio album; it's different and full of surprises. In a way, this album could be considered a concept album - why? - because each song relates to one of the four main themes [LOVE LUST FAITH DREAMS], for example, the lyrical content on “City of Angels” is clearly about dreams, while “Up in the Air” has themes of both love and dreams; the majority of the songs relate to more than one theme. While it doesn’t top 2009’s This Is War, it still delivers some outstanding and memorable songs such as: Bright Lights, Do or Die, and City of Angels. Overall, the band added new elements while removing others … fans will either adjust to the new sound or simply move on.
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BIRTH: Once again the band decides to open the album with a short cinematic piece. It’s a great introduction for a new beginning and a new sound; it features instruments such as: orchestral strings, Taiko drums, and faint electronic sounds, all, which seem to work very well. The few lyrics on here express the theme of faith: “I will save you from yourself, time will change everything about this hell.” I love how this song segues into Conquistador; it’s a perfect fit because it shares the same theme.
CONQUISTADOR: This song has a rock/alternative feel to it; it’s a bit similar to a few songs from "A Beautiful Lie", like: Attack, The Fantasy, and Savior. It’s loud and energetic, and sounds like a battle cry, with the choir constantly repeating, “we will, we will, we will rise again” and Jared singing, “This is a fight to the death”. The lyrical themes are lust and faith, overall, it's an average rock song, but still worth a listen. [7 out of 10]
UP IN THE AIR: The lead single for Love Lust Faith + Dreams lives up to its title; (quick back-story) a CD copy was sent into space on March 1 aboard SpaceX CRS-2, it reached its destination, the International Space Station, on March 3, but it didn’t premiere until March 18; the song was officially released on March 19. Onto the music, Up in the Air embraces change and pushes the band to new heights; it takes a more happy/electronic approach. It features chanting choruses, uplifting electronic beats, a few guitar parts (very faint), and an outstanding drum performance. A very memorable part of the song is 2:45 - 3:30; the simple piano melody, the energetic drums, and Jared’s soothing voice, along with the lyrics, “Up in the air, chasing a dream so real”, create a great sense of hope. Overall it’s a great song, maybe not the best choice for a lead single. [7.5 out of 10]
CITY OF ANGELS: It opens with a nice electronic sound and surreal synth; the drums that follow are very pure and energetic, similar to those on "Night of the Hunter". Lyrically it's very inspiring, it’s clearly about dreams: “All my life, I was never there. I'm just a ghost, running scared. Here our dreams aren't made, they're won.” The section at 3:24 - 3:42 is breathtaking; Jared sings with so much passion, "I AM HOME”, it reminds me of a specific part of “With or Without You” by U2. The ending is also breathtaking, the lyrics are loudly repeated: “ONE LIFE, ONE LOVE, LIVE”; it’s a very touching moment; City of Angels will most likely become a single in the future, no doubt about that. Overall, this song is very mesmerizing from start to finish; it instantly became one of my favorites. [10 out of 10]
THE RACE: Great intro, it opens with some intense strings and a steady electronic beat, it's a nice combination, these musical elements can also be heard during the chorus. This particular song reminds me of "This Is War", the overall sound would fit perfectly on that album, that's definitely a good thing. This song explores the themes of lust and faith: "It began with an ending, we were fighting for the world … my desire never ending … the race … the race." Overall it's a really easy song to follow, nothing too extreme. [7.5 out of 10]
END OF ALL DAYS: Jared Leto goes solo on this one; in a way it sounds like a piano ballad, I guess it’s a bit similar to “Hurricane”. The song features a great amount of piano melodies accompanied by Jared’s soaring voice, as the song progresses, a few other instruments join the mix making the song louder and more intense. Lyrically, this is one of the best songs, it expresses two themes: lust and faith; the chorus is really simple, it reads, “All we need is faith … Faith is all we need”. It’s a very enjoyable song; if you liked “Hurricane” then you’ll have no problem with this one. [8 out of 10]
PYRES OF VARANASI: This three-minute instrumental caught me by surprise the first time through. It’s a very cinematic (movie score-like) track that features intense orchestral strings and several electronic elements. There’s a section at 1:45 that features an Indian-like voice, which comes as a surprise; overall, it’s a very creative and unique track that creates an epic soundscape.
BRIGHT LIGHTS: Without question, one of the best songs on the album, it's very moving and inspiring. The intro is very vibrant; it gives me a visual of wildlife/nature. Throughout the song, Jared's voice is very pleasant and atmospheric, the piano melody, along with the fetching synths/electronics, together create a very pure and colorful atmosphere. The lyrics are simple, yet inspiring, they express three of the main themes (love, lust, dreams): "I’ve been dreaming of things yet to come. Living, learning, watching, burning, eyes on the sun" - "Bright lights, big city, she dreams of love ... he lives to run." The song as a whole, is very U2-like, it’s got that style that was used in “The Unforgettable Fire” or maybe even “The Joshua Tree”, for example, the section at 1:24 - 1:40 and again at 3:35 - 4:28. Overall, Bright Lights is definitely worth checking out, I highly recommend it. [10 out of 10]
DO OR DIE: This song is very moving and full of excitement; the various electronic elements and drums make it sound energetic/catchy. The chanting chorus, "and the story goes … on … on … on … that's how the story goes", is very anthemic, it was made with the intention of getting the listener involved; it should work well during a live performance. The lyrics can relate to three of the themes: faith, dreams, and love, "Faith is coming, that I know. Time is running, got to go" … "Here right now, under the pattern, if ever we dream out loud … do or die." Overall, it's a great track, if you dig pop/rock, then this is for you. [10 out of 10]
CONVERGENCE: Drummer, Shannon Leto composed this 2-minute instrumental track; it features a very dreamlike xylophone melody, which repeats throughout the song; the other instruments are there to create a calm ambient atmosphere. Overall, it’s a very enjoyable and soothing track - I picture the colorful album cover when I listen to it.
NORTHERN LIGHTS: As far as instruments go, it features a lot of synth-tones and strings, vocally; Jared Leto delivers some pretty intense vocal work throughout the song, maybe even the best. During the chorus, the lyrics seem to describe a dreamlike experience: “We swam among the northern lights, and hid beyond the edge of night. I'm waiting for the dawn to come, and sing a song to save us all”, that’s another thing I really enjoyed; Northern Lights has some really thought out lyrics. Overall, it's a great song, very different from anything they've done, and this is how the album should've ended. [8 out of 10]
DEPUIS LE DÉBUT: For anyone that’s curious, the title means “from the beginning”. This final track is divided into three additional parts. The first part features Jared Leto signing over some chords, it’s not really impressive, he will most likely play this at an acoustic show, or something. The second part features electronic sounds and violins; it reminds me of a specific part on “Lux Aeterna”, this will probably be used on one of their short films/music videos. The last part is a short lullaby/music box, no big deal. I feel like the band, or just Jared, tried to create a cinematic piece, but came up short. To some listeners this might come across as filler; it seems out of place, overall, not a good way to end the album.
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I recommend: Bright Lights, Do or Die, and City of Angels.
