Blue October New Album...wth????

I'm reviewing this album for the newspaper I copy edit for...and I was horrified. They were my favorite band, how can they do this to their fans??? It was like one big faux hip hop mess! It's almost like Justin fell apart with his marriage. The songs they released as singles were complete misnomers, the album is completely different. The music is so cacophonous that it actually hurt my ears in some songs. I was so disappointed...so disenchanted. I was wondering though, what differing opinions are there? Argue with me! Commiserate with me! Back me up! I want a conversation. Por favor.

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2 replies since 18th October 2011 • Last reply 18th October 2011

Reply #1:

I think it's been the sort of natural progression that Blue October has made from being an edgy underground band producing songs like HRSA and Do You Ever Wonder to a more commercial radio friendly band producing songs like Hate Me and My Never. The people who have been following Blue October since before they were famous and were playing shows at the Ranch Bowl were hoping that this divorce would bring a turn back to the old Justin with the better music and songs but taking a listen to it now I see he’s just taken another leap into mainstream music. The song The Flight is a great example of an unoriginal idea that he’s clearly running with now. It’s like a bad rip-off of an Eminem song with the raping and the swearing and trying to be hateful towards his wife. I pretty much burst out laughing listening to that song because it’s so pathetic. I love how Justin is acting like he’s so innocent in the break-up of his marriage but those of us from Omaha know better than that.

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Reply #2:

Reactions have been mixed. I have been a fan of Blue October since 2000 and have watched them develop and have been very proud of their success. I love the new album, however there are two songs (The Flight and Any Man In America) that I don't care for. However, live performances of these songs rock, and the crowd gets really into it.

Other fans have told me they don't like Justin rapping. I don't know what they're talking about. I don't hear him rapping. I hear him singing fast with the beat or the melody or just speaking. I think the song "Jump Rope" was more rappish than anything I heard on the new album (save for Ray C's cameo on Any Man In America).

My two favorite songs on the new album are The Getting Over It Part and You Waited Too Long. The Chills, Feel Again, Worry List, Drama Everything and For The Love are all amazing as well.

Don't let part of one or two songs sour you on the entire group of songs. And be sure to see Blue October in concert. I didn't care for a lot of the songs on Approaching Normal until I saw the album performed live in it's entirety, and then it all made sense.
And I know when Foiled came out, a lot of old fans hated it because it used a lot of computer effects and they were used to guitar and violin driven natural music without all the synthetics. This band does something a little different with every album, and every song is different. A lot of things they've done, I haven't liked at first, but they always grow on me.

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