North

by

Something Corporate

Edit

With North, Something Corporate demonstrates their amazing ability to mature as artists- something very few bands achieve in such a short amount of time. Andrew McMahon's (as well as Josh Partington's) lyrics have always belied his age, but they evolve now more than ever. While it is obvious that this is the bands "on the road" album, they don't make it as blatant as most. Here is a synopsis of each song and my opinions on it. I'll try to keep it as unbiased as possible, but I am a mad zealot of SoCo, so it won't be completely impartial. :)

"As You Sleep"- At first, this song will make you drift off to sleep. You may think it is because it's boring or plain at first, but then you realize- this is the perfect lullaby. And that's what it's supposed to be: a lullaby of a goodbye that Andrew sings to his loved one before leaving on tour. The lyrics are lovely, the music is soft and sweet, and Andrew's vocals are so melodic.

"Space"- Josh's songs are definitely better in past albums, in my humble opinion, and Space is to me one of the weaker tracks on the album. However, this upbeat song still has a fun tone to it, and it doesn't necessarily disappoint. I imagine the song is about trying to break up with a girl. But only because of that time-honored jackass line "Give me space".

"Down"- Another kind of sad, longing song from Andrew. Absolutely gorgeous lyrics and music. This song feels so far removed from the old, pop-punk Something Corporate.

"Only Ashes"- This one takes a little bit of getting used to. It's Josh's once again, but this track is a little stronger. The message is very thought-provoking and the music is pretty cool.

"Me and the Moon"- Arguably the best track on the album, about a suburban wife killing her abusive husband. So heartbreakingly beautiful this song is, especially the line "I am a butterfly, but you wouldn't let me die".

"The Runaway"- This song's lyrics are questionable at times, but the music and hook are delightful.

"Ruthless"- I love this song. Everything about this song is amazing and wonderful. This song is truly the epitome of unrequited love, and I'm not even sure if it's about that.

"She Paints Me Blue"- Written by Andrew, this may very well be the most personal song on the album. It is even inscribed, "to Kelly". Whoever Kelly is, she is one friggin lucky girl and I think I hate her. While Ruthless is the epitome of unrequited love, this song is just the epitome of love period.

"Break Myself"- At first, this one is relatively unforgettable. But upon listening closely, despite ambiguous lines, this song can be rather moving.

"I Won't Make You"- Now this I can applaud Josh for. While this song could very easily be called "I Won't Rape You", Josh makes it...romantic.

"21 and Invincible"- This song has a greak hook/chorus and it really does depict that age clearly. This song does feel somewhat out of place of the album, though, with the rest of the songs being somewhat tender and sad.

"Miss America"- a gorgeous, heartbreaking ending to a great album. It appears that SoCo must always end their CDs with the saddest song possible. (Globes and Maps of Leaving Through the Window, Walking By on Audioboxer, Konstantine on Ready...Break)

On a side note, Something Corporate is one of the only bands I know of that make drugs, sex, and alcohol sound appealing and romantic.

I love Something Corporate. I really loved all their songs, especially "Hurricane," which I still believe is the best song ever written. I've always thought their songs reflected a musical talent like no other band. And while 'North' reflects the same amount of talent and maturity that their previous releases have displayed, I find it generally less enjoyable than the last CD. SoCo's so-called 'maturity' has resulted in a major tone-down since the last album, which I find disturbing, because SoCo wasn't loud enough to tone down in the first place. Another reviewer said there were no 'fun' songs on this CD, and I agree (although I believe "The Runaway" and "Ruthless" are almost the same degree of 'fun' as some of the tracks on Leaving Through the Window). Overall I definitely like the CD, but nowhere near as much as I liked earlier releases. I wanted to hear more of SoCo's trademark emotional piano ROCK songs, not just more emotional piano songs. If SoCo's last CD had been composed entirely of songs like "Globes and Maps," after all, I'd never have bought it--even though I love that song.

There are no reprises of "Hurricane" or "Fall" on this CD, nor even a reprise of the revered "Konstantine." The CD does travel in a slightly different direction with the music than the last one, of course. The chord progressions are a little less predictable than Leaving Through the Window--at least until you've listened to the first half of the album.

If you were a fan of SoCo's quiet songs, you'll likely love this CD, and I'd recommend buying it as soon as you finish reading this review. But if you loved the power and the beat of the rock songs on the last album, this album could be considered a letdown. No matter what, I recommend buying it; you'll probably really enjoy it. . . . Just don't expect to be blown away.