Throughout music's epic and multi-faceted history, many bands have followed the same formula: they start with highly original, unique sound, then alienate their fans by mainstreaming their music to make it more accessible to the simple-eared masses. Led Zeppelin, Yes, Genesis, Metallica, etc....(I could mention Green Day here also, but I fear that would offend some people :P) all of these with a negative effect on their hardcore fans that would buy every album of theirs no matter how bad it was. Now, in 2006, it seems that the Goo Goo Dolls, (IMHO) the best modern-day pop rock/alternative band, are doing the same thing. It started back in 1998 with a departure from their garage-band, Replacements-esque (but much better *cough*) sound, to more streamlined, ballad-centered songs. It continued into 2002 with Gutterflower, a very loud but very accessible album that was their most consistent yet. Now, it seems they've reached the pinnacle of their poppiness with Let Love In.
The one thing that makes the Goo Goo Dolls different from the above list is that I still love the way they sound even with their change. Granted, it's not nearly as good as their older stuff, and there's no eye-popping, jaw-dropping songs on here to the effect of Naked, Black Balloon, or Here is Gone, but it's alot like Gutterflower in that the finished product of Let Love In is very polished, very full-sounding, and very good. The Goo Goo Dolls haven't compromised much here with mainstream-ization. They still have a very personalized quality to even Robby Takac's punk-roots selections. (BTW, there are only two of those this time around) I must confess, my expectations for Let Love In were very cautiously low, and I was delighted to find them exceeded, even if it doesn't equal the pure brilliance of something like Dizzy Up the Girl.
The first two singles off this album are what turned me off. Better Days and, to a lesser extent, Stay With You sound like anyone could have written them and are quite below the normal genius of John Rzeznik. But I've found that when listened to with the rest of the album, they are much better than when listened to on the radio sandwiched between Kelly Clarkson and Aerosmith songs. In fact, the whole album forms an extremely cohesive whole that doesn't quite click as well when you listen to the songs all by their lonesome. Let Love In creates a melancholy, slightly depressing atmosphere that breaks only when the horribly placed Give A Little Bit crashes through and almost tears it down. I've never been a big fan of that song, and I think its presence on this album is more a result of laziness than anything else *shakes finger at John*.
However, there are a few songs here that stand out above the rest. Feel The Silence, a floaty power ballad with a lovely chorus, is scheduled to be the next single from this album, and I think it's the best pick yet. The melody is distinctly Johnny, and the octaves in the vocals are beatiful. Another standout track for me was Without You Here, which feels weirdly like a U2 song. That doesn't mean it's bad, though. The song sort of explodes in the middle when John belts out the chorus again. The last standout, and my favorite on the album, is Can't Let It Go. This is the Here Is Gone of Let Love In. The music is gorgeous, with an Iris-sounding acoustic riff, but it's the lyrics that really give the song its emotional punch; "Some Days I can't believe, others I'm on my knees, begging to be heard. I was your anger, and you were my fear, and now that it's over, the course is so clear. But you were no angel and I was no sin, but somehow I can't let it go." THAT, my friends, is the Johnny Rzeznik who wrote Iris and Black Balloon.
As a whole, keyboards and pianos make a very strong presence on Let Love In, which is part of the reason it's so different. John's not quite up to par as usual in songwriting but he's still great, and Robby makes his best showing yet (he just keeps improving, I think). This is by no means an album you should skip just because of Better Days, and you might even grow into that song while you're at it. Overall, my least favorite Goo album, but still a very good one.
Lol thanks again for the feedback.
