Upon hearing the first single, "Creatures(For Awhile)", I couldn't help but scratch my head and wonder where 311 were headed with "Evolver". After an initial listening, and a second, and a third, my head progessively nodded harder and harder as my appreciation for their current musical direction, well, just evolved. My following of all things 311 runs 8 years deep, hence making me somewhat biased and a bit of a harder sell to new ideas, but I think "Evolver" contains a good mix of old school flavor as well as the new ideas to give it a fresh taste on my musical palate.
The album contains everything you'd expect from the signature blend of 311, but in a different way - for example, "Same Mistake Twice" and "Reconsider Everything" are straight 311 rockers, but in between there's "Crack the Code", which is a mixture of a melodic jam and a rock riff with a dancehall beat. With "Beyond the Grey Sky" you get a nice laid back verse followed by a heavy chorus, and thankfully a beautiful guitar solo from Tim Mahoney that literally brought tears to my eyes the first time I heard it.
The use of the acoustic guitar, which has not emerged since "Use of Time" on "Transistor", makes an appearance on the tracks "It Seems Uncertain" and "Sometimes Jacks Rule The Realm", a couple of downtempo songs that will stir your emotions. These two songs along with "Give Me A Call" may sound pop-heavy on an old school listener's ears, but they can still impress. It's almost impossible to ignore SA's unique vocal line in "Give Me A Call" despite the catchy chorus, and "It Seems Uncertain" contains too important a message to be overlooked. I don't think 311 could never forget their positive tip, but their ability to present it in different ways is a feat well accomplished, made most quite apparent with the songs "Other Side of Things" and "Beyond the Grey Sky."
311's ability to push forward their own limitations has never failed to amaze me. The way in which they present the material in a new way makes this album a 311 masterpiece.
As impressed as I was with "Creatures" before the release of the album, I was happy to hear it did not define the album. Evolver as a whole spans a wide aural spectrum which should not disappoint. "Creatures" and "Reconsider Everything" are great slightly catchy rock tunes, which give the album a great start. "Crack the Code" shows the bands ability to craft beautiful melodic tracks without the cheese. "Beyond the Gray Sky" is probably the star of the show. Lyrically it is a very emotional tack set to equally powerful music. "Seems Uncertain" is a very interesting trippy acoustic number with some catchy lyrics, all in all a very unique track. "Give me a Call" is a great mix of rock and dancehall showcasing a bit of SA's vocal talents. "Sometimes Jacks Rule the Realm" is a nice mellow and thoughtful song, a great way to end this album. Overall Evolver is an impressive effort. 311 once again do not disappoint their fans by repeating themselves. Each track has a very unique feel and overall covers a very broad musical spectrum, making this album a great choice for just about anyone.
Evolver is the most surprising 311 CD considering that it is so harmonic. The Beatles really rubbed off on them while recording this CD and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. 311 seems to be more in harmony then they have ever been and everything just sounds so crisp that it all flows together. This has been the best CD I've gotten this year and it hasn't left my CD player yet. This is definitely another rock album for 311, but so was Soundsystem and that was probably their best CD before this one. While From Chaos was good, Evolver gets the pieces of the puzzle that From Chaos left out. The first half of the CD is typical 311, but songs 6 through 11 are completely different and may surprise you. Sometimes Jacks Rule the Realm almost seems like a) two different songs or b) one song with a three minute intro. Bottom line is Evolver is the best 311 CD to date and if you don't pick it up, you may be putting off one of the best CD's you'll ever hear.
"Evolver," the appropriately-titled new album from 311, is in many ways, their best. However, in many ways, it isn't. It depends on what you like about 311.
For over a decade, 311 have built a reputation for being able to pull off all types of music, including but definitely not limited to Rock, Rap, Reggae, and slow, mellow tunes. The side effect of this is that you get a lot of different types of fans. If you're like me and enjoy pretty much everything 311 does, then you'll love "Evolver." But if you're the type that really only likes 311's raps, then you'll probably be disappointed by most of the album.
The 11-song CD is more musically complex than any previous 311 album, which pleased me and should please most other 311 fans. Tim's guitar parts are more varied and intricate, and P-Nut brings back the funky slap-bass for "Don't Dwell." P-Nut's bass ability is also showcased in the bonus track at the end. In addition, there are also more mellow moments, most notably "Beyond The Gray Sky," "Seems Uncertain," and the album's standout track, "Sometimes Jacks Rule The Realm." And if you liked their single "Flowing," then you'll love "Same Mistake Twice."
All in all, "Evolver" may not be as hip-hop-ish as older releases like "Music" and "Grassroots," but it definitely shows a musical advancement (or evolution, haha), both in ability and composition. Plus, when they do choose to rock hard ("Reconsider Everything," "The Other Side Of Things," etc.) they do so extremely well.
Having been a fan since Music, I was very excited when 311's new album came out. I am happy that I've added this one to my collection.
I think that there are several ways in which one can appreciate an album.
1) You're a fan of the band.
I'm fan and admittedly, I'd probably buy any album they put out without even hearing anything on it, just to support their cause, so to speak. However, this does not mean that I would necessarily enjoy the album just because I bought it out of allegiance. Chaos, for example, I purchased because I like 311, but overall, I was disappointed with the album; the only songs I really enjoyed were "Champagne" and "I'll Be Here For A While." Certainly there's more to a good album than just brand loyalty.
2) It's fun to listen to.
This is probably the number one reason, in my opinion, to say an album is great. That is the point of music after all, right? Good times, right?
The first time I heard this album, I was hanging out after hours in this little bar with friends. The first few moments of Creature were interesting, but thirty seconds into it, you just FELT the song was about to kick it up a few notches. In that moment, I glanced around the bar to the five or six of us that were standing there, and we had all cocked back, ready to bounce to the music, the very first time we had heard the song! To me, that's fantastic. We rocked out to the rest of the album, hardly saying anything to each other. Just listening.
It's not just one song either. A good album is one that you put on and you find yourself getting into the music all the way through. I have fell victim to buying the one hit album. You buy the album only to find that there is only one good song out of 10. The classic example for me is Offspring. The one and only album of theirs that I have is Americana. "Pretty Fly For A White Guy" was fairly catchy so I bought the album. Waste o' cash. To show that I'm not biased, again, as an example, I can't say this about Chaos.
3) It doesn't get old.
I probably have close to 500 CDs in my collection, but out of all of those, I find myself returning to the same ones over and over again. It's almost as if you can't get your fix of the music; you can always listen to it more than one time.
How is this achieved? Variety, for one. Each song on this album has it's own feel. It's as if the album takes you on a musical ride.
4) It speaks to you.
Maybe it's the lyrics of a song (Same Mistake Twice felt like it was written for me) or the music encompasses you, or it reminds you of something or you just get into the sounds. Whatever the reason, a good song is more than just pleasure for your ears, it's an experience. Every time I hear "Diesel Power" by Prodigy or "You Walk Away" by Filter, I get pumped up. I get teary eyed when I hear "Wicked Games," by Chris Issaak. Reminds me of a girl whom I took on a rainy walk down 5th Avenue and fell in love with. It's an emotional experience. This is a tough one for a whole to album to accomplish, which is one reason why I can't give Evolver five stars, but overall I felt involved with the music instead of just being a listener.
5) It excels musically.
Say that you don't like 311's sound. Say that you don't like their style. Say that the album doesn't rock enough for you. Say what you want except anything about musical talent in the album.
Talent. You don't have to be the greatest musician in the world to be a great entertainer. However, I think there is a huge under appreciation for true talent in the music industry. These guys have demonstrated skill with there instruments and they show it in this album. Though known typically as being part of the rock-rap crowd, they can actually sing. Imagine that, a singer singing....
Demonstrated skills as music writers. This is the area where I feel that 311 is least appreciated. First it comes down to an original sound. There is no other band that quite has the same sound as 311. I do not feel that can be said of most groups today. These guys were one of the pioneers of the whole rock-rap genre, but they have remained unique with the reggae and jazz influences. Second, their own sound has evolved, hence the name of the album. Listen to Music and listen to Evolver and they sound like completely different bands. I do not claim to be a very good musician, but in my own efforts to write, I have come to realize that it is very, very difficult to really break away from your own style and to not be overly repetitive in the beats or riffs. My favorite guitarist, Tom Morrello of Rage and Audioslave, is a good example. I love his stuff, but it's all very similar. Having learned quite a few of his songs, you notice this even more; the same finger movements, over and over. The Gasoline melody is just Cochise backwards!! 311 has been a victim of this, too; but in this album, I feel they do a pretty good job of developing a new sound.
Remember folks, a band doesn't have to rock your head off on every song to be a good band; furthermore, I would go as far to say that if that's all a band can do...well they aren't that great. Expand your horizons and learn to have an appreciation for all types of songs and music.
I personally think the trance-rock thing that 311 has been doing for a while is one of the new trends in music. Modern day psychedelic? Who knows. Listen to Incubus, Primus (TALENT!!), Queens of The Stone Age.
Why not 5 stars instead of four? Five implies perfection and to me, that's a pretty tough standard to reach. But just so you know, here are some albums that I think are perfect:
Rage Against The Machine - Battle of Los Angeles
Cannot believe this album wasn't more popular. This is my favorite album of all time.
Alice in Chains - Dirt
Korn - Issues
Cream - Strange Brew: The Very Best of Cream
Spawn - Soundtrack
Harry Connick, Jr. - Blue Light, Red Light
Prodigy - The Fat of The Land
Fats Domino - My Blue Heaven - The Best of Fats Domino
Nusrat Fateh ali Kahn - Revelation
John 3:11 - "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and tell you what we have seen; but you still do not listen."
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