Post by Josh McLaughlin on Dec 8, 2011 23:47:43 GMT -5
James Durbin was brought into the limelight due to his tremendous success on the tenth season of American Idol, where he eventually placed fourth in the competition. The problem with success on these type of shows for a lot of people is that it strips away identity; and the artist's can fall into the trap of releasing an overproduced, soulless album written by a bunch of other people and fade away into obscurity afterwards. Since his time on Idol, however, Durbin has been extremely active and crafting a niché and identity for himself with appearances on Jay Leno, Regis and Kelly, Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show as well as working with James Michael (Sixx: A.M.) to create his debut album "Memories of a Beautiful Disaster".
The album opens with track "Higher Than Heaven" which has a sound very reminiscent of Sixx: A.M, while still bringing something unique to the table. The instruments are rocking and the vocals are brilliant, highlighting Durbin's angst and vocal range. The lyrics, though heavily religious work well and the chorus is catchy and rockin'! This song is followed by the ballad "All I Want" which is a little slower and more melodic, while still having rock elements. The vocal are hooky and guaranteed to stick in your head, and the lyrics are great. This is undoubtedly a highlight of the album.
"Love in Ruins" kicks in next, with a distinctly 80's sound inspired by bands like Motley Crüe and Guns N' Roses. The instrumentals are rocking, yet have a bluesy feel that really make for something different to the cookie-cutter rock that seems to dominate the charts lately. Durbin has the perfect blend of glam metal, rock and pop that just works well and brings a unique charm, even if the songs themselves aren't really revolutionary. "Right Behind You" strips things down and brings a very moody and emotional feel with it. Durbin's vocals are excellently highlighted by the acoustic guitars and other instruments which build up to a huge chorus underlied with almost marching percussion and some orchestral-sounding elements. Another highlight of the album, for sure. "Love Me Bad" is another ballad with a very classic rock sound. Some of the first lyrics include "the cigarrette fills the empty room; the smell of heartbreak and cheap perfume" remind me of the Journey song "Don't Stop Believing" which he was heavily praised for performing on Idol. The song quickly picks out and his range once again shines through in the ass-kickingness of the chorus.
"Deeper" has a very moody, dark sound in the instruments with chugging guitars underlying them to push the song along. The vocal lines in this song remind me a lot of the band Live; very spacy and moody. Durbin's voice soars through the chorus; a voice that is undeniably real. No computers, no vocal effects. Just an amazing vocal talent. "May" is a song that is incredibly raw and passionate; the lyrics are absolutely amazing. "We bought our first house and had a baby on the way. But during birth, I got my daughter, Jesus took away my maid. I didn't know know to say how I felt". This song is simply moving and heart-wrenching, and above all else, tells a true story. "Screaming" picks back up with a drum-driven song with hooky guitar riffs that lead into a very melodic and touching verse. It's almost as if the song were an anthem for the underdogs of the world. For somebody so young (22), Durbin has a very hardened look on the world, and his incredible songwriting shows.
"Outcast", featuring Mick Mars from Motley Crüe is another song that would have fit perfectly into the hard rock scene in Los Angeles in the 80's, almost a cross between Guns N' Roses and Alice Cooper. This is a song beckoning to be played in front of a capacity crowd, with everybody jumping around singing, sweating and having fun! It's followed by "Everything Burns", a raw acoustic-lead song that shows off Durbin's range and variety. The chorus is catchy and soulful. The last song on the standard release is "Stand Up" a heavy, hard song that serves to amp up whomever listens to it! A fitting close to the album, ending where it began; pure, glorious rock! I feel the need to comment on the bonus track "Liberate", which was left off the album. Oddly enough, this was the first song from the album I heard, and it is in my opinion one of the best songs on the whole album. Make sure to get the deluxe edition to hear it's greatness!
On the whole, the album really does nothing to revolutionize rock music or bring anything completely new to the table. What it does do, however, is inject some life into the stagnant rock scene by using elements from metal, glam metal and blues in conjunction with hard rock. Durbin's vocal abilities are truely amazing, and his songwriting abilities are quite good too. It's a very solid release, bringing 4-5 great songs to the table. Hopefully his career continues and he is given a fair chance to show the world what else he has to offer!
8/10