Oh...and the links are all for iTunes, mostly because of my love for Apple. Well...That, and the fact that you can then immediately listen to 30 seconds of every song on the CD.
Moving on...I'm a HUGE fan of NeedtoBreathe. I've been waiting for "
The Outsiders" for a number of months now. Pretty much since I heard it was coming out. Well...I've gotten my hands on a copy and listened all the way through it about 5 times, and with 14 songs, that's a lot of music.
Without further ado...Here's my review!
NeedtoBreathe - "
The Outsiders"
"
The Outsiders" is NeedtoBreathe's 3rd release. Following "
Daylight" and "
The Heat". In this reviews humble opinion:
"
Daylight" - Solid!
"
The Heat" - Solid and Great!
"
The Outsiders" - Solid, Great, and Different!
(In a good way)What I mean by this is, the essence of NeedtoBreathe is still there. The sound, tamber, build, etc. But something, that I have yet to determine, is a little different about this release, that's...well...refreshing.
Here's the "
Track by Track":
1.
The Outsiders - Fun, upbeat, and catchy. For me, it brings me to the edge of country and folk rock. Right where I like it.
Rating: 4/52.
Valley of Tomorrow - Pleasant song and a catchy pre-chorus. The "oh oh oh" is what sucked me in. Word on the street is, any song with "oh oh's" in it, always succeeds.
Rating: 4/53.
Through Smoke - Could be considered one of the songs that brings the 'difference' to this album. I like it, but it's not my favorite.
Raing: 3/54.
Lay 'em Down - Heard this one months before today's release. The "We Will Rock You" hand clapping is catchy and best of all you can totally feel the soulful foundation of the song. Powerful.
Rating: 4/55.
What You've Done to Me - Kind of...eh for me. It's still a solid tune, but not quite there with the majority of the album.
Rating: 3/56.
Hurricane - "Ooo's" make an appearance in this song to help bring the catchy. The U2 sounding vocals and "Edge" guitar, create a familiar "ahhh" feeling.
Rating: 4/57.
These Hard Times - It's okay. It's in the middle of the album, and one that I would probably skip over more than I would search to it.
Rating: 2/58.
Stones - The love ballad on the album. It also brings a solid female vocal to the mix, that almost brings a lullaby feel to it. Good tune.
Rating: 3/59.
Prisoner - Yes! Difference is found here too, but boy is it good. I don't 'hear' it on the radio, but it's a good tune to rock/travel to.
Rating: 4/510.
Won't Turn Back - Ahhh...Yes. I really like this one. Might be because of the banjo/piano combo. Again...Walks that line between Country and Folk Rock, but still keeps me comfortable.
Rating: 4/511.
Girl Names Tennessee - The most fun song on the entire album. Don't miss this one. "Ooo's" make a return, but it's okay, that adds to the fun of this track.
Rating: 4/512.
Something Beautiful - Coming from my radio background, and knowing that "Lay 'em Down" was a radio track, if I had to pick another radio track, it'd be this one. Has all the elements, great message, good chorus, and familiar sound.
Rating: 5/513.
Garden - Heard this one before the album released. Was good then...good now. Another solid tune for the radio. It's a slower ballad song, but well worth the listen.
Rating: 4/514.
Let Us Love - I like this one too. I'll say this, great way to finish the album off. It's a driving song. The chorus seems like they decided to let everyone sing since it was the last song, a little awkard maybe at first, but after a couple of listens...works just fine.
Rating: 4/5Overall Rating: 3.7/5Overall...If you're a fan of NeedtoBreathe...Pick it up, it's essential that you do. If you've never heard of them or know of them but aren't sure, still pick it up. There's more than enough on this album to make it worth the purchase.
That's all for now.
~j
