The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 16, 2003, Page 11, Image 11
CD REVIEWS/SHOW PREVIEWS
Linkin Park conies last album
“METEORA”
Linkin Park
out of
BY MEG MOORE
THE GAMECOCK
Linkin Park apparently didn’t
get the latest industry memo: Rap
rock has lost its innovative allure.
The band’s newest release,
“Meteora,” retreads the same hip
hop-infused musical territory pop
ulated .by its previous hits.
Granted, it does so with polished
vigor, but “Meteora” ultimately
revisits familiar terrain.
Propelled by an inherent anger
that sneers across the album’s sur
face, “Meteora” lyrically attacks
the ambivalent “You” — the inner
demon and the real-world adviso
ry. The album structures itself
around this struggle, seething
with and simmering in its own
menacing sound. “Meteora” is de
fined by its anguished message;
just as its lyrics are uniform in
tone, its tracks are exceedingly
similar in style.
Songs such as “Don’t Stay” and
“Somewhere I Belong” sound
much like revamped versions of
“In the End,” combining rapped
verses with guitar-driven refrains.
In fact, the whole album basically
follows that same premise. Beat
driven beginnings lead into wall
of-sound choruses that are defini
tively catchy but grow redundant
after a while.
Linkin Park does step out of its
musical shell for a few moments
on “Meteora,” however — no
tably, it trades its thundering gui
tars for a uniquely delicate, yet
beat-driven melody on “Breaking
the Habit.” While the band clear
ly knows how to deliver well
structured rap-rock, such melod
ic moments are needed to remind
listeners that the band knows
how to do more than cue the beat
box and drive up the distortion
level.
“Meteora” will not win the
group any awards for innovation,
but it is a solid exercise for the
group’s tried-and-true sound. The
album’s veneered version of angst
remains radio friendly amid the
throes of psychological struggle.
Yet “Meteora” might also evidence
the tragic flaw of rap-rock music
in general: Within the genre, the
songs lack distinction. Dedicated
fans will likely be rapt with the
record’s familiar feel; first-time lis
teners might lose interest after the
first few carbon-copy tracks.
Comments on this story?E-mail
gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com
Bad lyrics disguise good voice
“WHILE YOU CAN”
Lucy Woodward
★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆
BY JOHN NOLAN AND MEG
MOORE
THE GAMECOCK
Lucy Woodward’s “While You
Can” earns points for effort — un
fortunately, she gets too caught up
in her relationship struggles to
produce anything truly listen
worthy. Woodward has an in
credible voice, and is quite obvi
ously talented, but her latest col
lection of songs stays safely with
in the realm of self-loathing. It
muses on everything from how
misguided she is for being in love
to how empty she feels for not.
Essentially, she gives us 11
wounded love songs that attack
love in 11 not-so-different ways.
If you’ve just ended a relation
ship and you’re looking for some
thing appropriately angry, this al
bum is for you. Listening to
Woodward’s album drags out old
aches, pulling at the leftover anger
of the listeners’ lost relationships
as it dives into a depressing spi
ral of self-pity.
“While Ypu Can” does have its
momentary bright spot: the track
“Getting It On,” her tribute to that
age-old relationship rebound, the
fling. This one song keeps the al
bum from being an entirely de
pressing flop. It shows an aggres
sive Woodward at her impas
sioned best.
Lamenting lyrics aside, there is
actually some decent, almost
folksy music on “While You Can.”
The mixture of Madonna-like
rhythms with sounds reminiscent
of Creed makes for an interesting
overall effect — if you can turn the
volume down low enough, it’s al
most soothing.
Woodward definitely has po
tential — but it will go unrealized
until she is able to dig that talent
out of its accompanying mass of
heartache.
Comments on this story?E-mail
gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com
‘Satellite Years’offers escape
“THE SATELLITE YEARS”
HopesfaU
★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆
BY STEVEN VAN HAREN
THE GAMECOCK
Hopesfall is not your average
rock band —its songs blindside
the unsuspecting ear with its
banshee-like vocals and jostling,
shuffling, yet remarkably clean
instrumentation. The Charlotte
based group grunts and grinds
into Columbia tonight at Uncle
Doctors in support of its space
age-themed album “The Satellite
Years.”
“Andromeda,” an elegant mu
sical elegy, catalyzes the record
into a high-energy frenzy at the
onset. The song’s opening instru
mental section, combined with the
album’s booklet, which contains
images of satellites and space phe
nomena, makes the album seem
like a new Pink Floyd release.
The next track, “Waitress,”
erases this misconception as lead
vocalist Jay Forrest evidences
those phantasmic screams.
“Dead in Magazines’Cand “Dana
Walker” advance the band’s oth
erworldly exploration, showcas
ing the melodic interplay be
tween guitarists Joshua Brigham
and Chad Waldrup.
The fierce music takes an un
expected turn on “Decoys Like
Curves,” in which Forrest mel
lows out to narrate a tale of es
cape: “We drove these streets
heads to shoulders/ Existing to
tell the tales of letting go.” After
an indulgent instrumental sec
lion and the lush “Escape Pod for
Intangibles,” the album ends on a
full-throttle, guttural thud with
“The Bending.”
Guitarist Joshua Brigham
said the band has learned from
its past albums.
“There1s no grand scheme, as
far as I’m concerned. It’s simply a
maturation from the last few
years,” he said.
Formed in 1998, the young
band established itself amid the
hardcore scene with the help of
Columbia favorites Stretch
Armstrong. Hopesfall, however,
has never wanted to be labeled as
strictly hardcore. Brigham said
the band’s sound is simply heavy
rock. “We’ve always tried to
think of a name (for our sound),
but couldn’t think of anything in
particular,” he said.
The obvious theme of “The
Satellite Years” is escape.
“We’ll start with a simple idea
and build a theme around it,”
Brigham said. “We wrote the mu
sic over a period of two years
with escape in mind.”
Even before the October 2002
release of “The Satellite Years,”
Hopesfall toured consistently.
After 10 months of performing,
the band is finally ready to begin
writing for a new record.
“We haven’t gotten much of a
chance to write,” Brigham said,
“but we’re going to get together to
start writing again this summer.”
When Hopesfall writes songs,
Brigham said, it’s all in the hook.
“Usually, someone starts by
humming a melody,” Brigham
said. “We usually don’t build a
song from a guitar lick or drum
beat.”
Comments on this story?E-mail
gdmecockmixeditor@hotmail.com
www.dailygamecock.com
Nobody covers USC better.
Direction*: Jtuf across the Gervai* St. Bridge - Left at Second Light_
I I
I SUNCOM STORE LOCATIONS
COLUMBIA
Five Points
539 Harden St
(corner of Harden St
and Blossom)
803-261-7510
Columbiana Centre
(near Parisian)
too Columbiana
Circle
803-261-7570,
803-407-7738
(M-Sat toa-9p,
Sun t-5p)
Authorized Dealers
Access Multimedia
In the Army National Guard, you can have it all. You can work or go
to school full time, and still have a social life. In the Guard, you stand
out by being a team player. Most Guard members SOUTH
serve one weekend a month and two weeks a CAROLINA
year, leaving you with plenty of time for family
and friends. Get into the game and learn to
win. In the Army National Guard,YOU CAN!
j I
I -800-GQ-GUARD • www.l-800-OQ-GUARD.com
USC Mascot Cocky" Tryouts
April 17, 2003: 4:45pm
THE TRYOUT WILL BE HELD IN THE USC FIELDHOUSE
(across from the USC Soccer Stadium)
........
THE ONLY WIRELESS PLAN THAT INCLUDES ALL YOUR CALLS, ALLTHETINIE,
TO ANYWHERE FOR ONE LOW MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION.*
• Keeps you in touch with those you love anytime, anywhere.
• No long distance or roaming charges.
• Get the same bill every month. Only $49.95.
ASK ABOUT OUR LARGE SELECTION OF FREE MOBILE PHONES
WITH COOL FEATURES YOU'LL LOVE.
Get 2 FREE services for 2 months FREE"
FREE Voice Activated Dialing to make calling easier.
FREE Text Messaging to keep closer in touch.
FREE Roadside Assistance package to keep you safe.
AT&T Wireless
WeGetlt. SunCorn
Member of the AW Wireless Network
STORE HOURS: M-F 9A-7P
WEEKEND HOURS: SAT lOA^P
FT. JACKSON
Main Exchange
Building
4110 Moseby St
803-782-0012
SUMTER
Market Place
317 Wesmark Blvd
803-236-8900
Columbiana Place
1230 Bower Pkwy
803-261-7560
Richland Mall
3400 Forest Dr
803-790-2140
(M-$at ioa-9p,
Sun i:30-6p)
Two Notch Rd
Creekside Plaza
803-261-7530
CAMDEN
Dusty Bend
Shopping Center
2513 North Broad St
803-243-7400
(M-F 93-5:309,
Sat ioa-5p)
LEXINGTON
Mallard Lakes
Business Park
5483 Sunset Blvd
803-261-7550
mobile
south
-,y~. .
Wireless Etc.
Free Overnight Delivery 1-877-225-5786 Corporate Sales 803-261-7523 Mobile Sales 803-261-2525 shop online www.SunCom.com
limited-time offer. $35 activation fee and minimum 17-month service agreement required. "SunCom UnPian coverage area depends on individual UnPian Zone. Monthly subscription fee includes: all calls placed and received
within your UnPian Zone when the screen on your phone displays "FREE,** and an additional 300 nationwide anytime minutes for calls placed and received when the screen on your phone does not say "FREE.”
Nationwide anytime minutes in excess of the included 300 minutes will be billed at 35C a minute. Additional nationwide anytime minute packages available. Nationwide calling Plincludes all states, except Alaska.
**Two months free services offer requires a 17-month contract on the two features chosen. After the two-month promotional period, customers will be charged $3.00 per month for ten subsequent months for Voice Activated Dialing
and/or Rt^Jside Assistance and/or $4.95 per month for SunCom iNotes*' Text Messaging. International long distance calls are not included, nor aie calls that require^ctedit card or operator assistance to complete. SunCom reserves the
right to terminate your agreement if more than 50% of your minutes are not on the SunCom Network. SunCom service available for residents of specified ZIP codes otyy. Other fees such as taxes, utility use, directory assistance, universal