Daughtry—Leave This Town (July 14, 2009)

 
Leave This Town is Daughtry’s second studio album, after their debut album released in 2006.  My personal favorite songs on this album are “You Don’t Belong” and “Ghost of Me.” I like most types of music, and these seem pretty mainstream for me. They’re a mixture of rock, pop and alternative.

 
In some of the songs on the album, though, lead singer Chris Daughtry’s voice sounds higher than usual. It’s a little strange; it sounds techno-like…or like someone who had just inhaled helium. I notice it especially in “What I Meant To Say” and “September.” Another song, “Supernatural,” sounds kind of spacey, like a song you’d find at a disco club or something. You know, those ones with the black lights and neon colors everywhere. Maybe it’s just me, though.

 
Don’t get me wrong, I actually like Daughtry. I just like a lot of variety. There are a couple of attempts at ballads, but they are right after the other on the album, and are stuck at the end. If the placement of the slower songs had been different, maybe my response to them would have been different, too. I do applaud the effort, though. Ballads are tough to execute by a rock band. Not everyone is Shania Twain, right??

 
Their first single off the album, “No Surprise,” is very similar to songs off of their previous album, Daughtry. To me the song sounds quite a bit like “Over You.” That’s not a bad thing—I think it’s a good transition from that record. Daughtry has sold over 5 million copies (4x platinum in the U.S.) and released 7 singles (out of 12 tracks), which were all major hits in the United States.

 
In all there are 12 new songs. “No Surprise” is climbing the charts and has over 400,000 sales to date on the single alone. The tracks are:

 
1.You Don’t Belong
2. No Surprise
3. Every Time You Turn Around
4. Life After You
5. What I Meant To Say
6. Open Up Your Eyes
7. September
8. Ghost Of Me
9. Learn My Lesson
10. Supernatural
11. Tennessee Line
12. Call Your Name

Keane– Live DVD (Blu-ray, July 14, 2009)

The DVD features 21 of Keane’s songs performed live, from their albums Hopes and Fears and Under the Iron Sea.  The DVD was recorded and released in 2007, but now it is in Blu-ray form, and is very much worth a second look!  The band changes up their songs a lot to make their performances more special and more memorable for the audience, which is always a bonus.  For example, “Your Eyes Open” is performed acoustically by lead singer Tom Chaplin on the guitar.  By doing this, he almost changes the whole feel of the song; it is personal for the audience to see him perform the song so raw.  The recording of “Your Eyes Open” is full of background melodies and instruments, so it is refreshing to see an artist to return to just his voice and a guitar.  Chaplin also turns “Broken Toy” into a solo acoustic song.  An inherently melodious tune is transformed into something much more meaningful.  It’s really fun to watch!

Even the songs Keane doesn’t change, though, are genuinely exciting.  Some of my personal favorites are “Everybody’s Changing” and “This is the Last Time.”  They are great performers and the image will look even better on Blu-ray!  With 21 performances, a short film, footage from a soundcheck, and live visuals of “A Bad Dream,” “Is It Any Wonder?” and “Atlantic,” the DVD is a truly a steal.


Related posts:

• Adele Stays On Top
• Maroon 5 Releases a New Single
• Paramore: A Brief Profile
• New Albums: Bon Jovi and The Illusionist
• New Albums: The National and Jackson Browne