Maybe I've been listening to too much good rock. Or maybe I'm just getting old, but Billy Talent's newest album, III, fails to hit the mark.
Stephanie Clouser
Issue date: 11/4/09 Section: Opinion
By Stephanie Clouser
Maybe I've been listening to too much good rock. Or maybe I'm just getting old, but Billy Talent's newest album, III, fails to hit the mark.
The lyrics are apocalyptic and melodramatic, no different than the kind of lyrics that a 14-year-old high school student would write. Every track overuses exaggerated imagery to a point where it becomes redundant and the songs start to blend together. Generic is really the best term to describe this album. Billy Talent does what hundreds of bands have done before, and poorly at that.The band is originally from Canada, where they began playing together in high school about 15 years ago. III is the band's fourth album.
Their latest endeavor lacks any real focus or sincerity. Listening to what seems like the same tired track over and over, the listener is never really drawn into paying more than half-attention to any song. Some of the songs may work well as a background track in a television show or movie, but this album can't really hope for much more than that.
To label III as a rock album is a stretch. In fact, halfway through the second song, my iTunes stopped playing and ejected the CD, as if it was appalled by the fact that I insisted on listening to this album in the same iTunes library that contains such bands as The Who or The Clash. It's safe to say I won't be importing this one into my library.
One track, however, that I will import is "Turn Your Back." Billy Talent's attempt at a political track with "Turn Your Back" is commendable. The band appeals to listeners' social responsibility, imploring them to stop turning a blind eye to social issues. The track is short of excellent, but definitely worth checking out. Other tracks that are decent: "Saint Veronika" and "Diamond on a Landmine."
Overall, III, is forgettable and unoriginal.
Maybe I've been listening to too much good rock. Or maybe I'm just getting old, but Billy Talent's newest album, III, fails to hit the mark.
The lyrics are apocalyptic and melodramatic, no different than the kind of lyrics that a 14-year-old high school student would write. Every track overuses exaggerated imagery to a point where it becomes redundant and the songs start to blend together. Generic is really the best term to describe this album. Billy Talent does what hundreds of bands have done before, and poorly at that.The band is originally from Canada, where they began playing together in high school about 15 years ago. III is the band's fourth album.
Their latest endeavor lacks any real focus or sincerity. Listening to what seems like the same tired track over and over, the listener is never really drawn into paying more than half-attention to any song. Some of the songs may work well as a background track in a television show or movie, but this album can't really hope for much more than that.
To label III as a rock album is a stretch. In fact, halfway through the second song, my iTunes stopped playing and ejected the CD, as if it was appalled by the fact that I insisted on listening to this album in the same iTunes library that contains such bands as The Who or The Clash. It's safe to say I won't be importing this one into my library.
One track, however, that I will import is "Turn Your Back." Billy Talent's attempt at a political track with "Turn Your Back" is commendable. The band appeals to listeners' social responsibility, imploring them to stop turning a blind eye to social issues. The track is short of excellent, but definitely worth checking out. Other tracks that are decent: "Saint Veronika" and "Diamond on a Landmine."
Overall, III, is forgettable and unoriginal.
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