Disco de Blue October: “Answers”

This album is very personal to the band, and it defiantly shows. The lyrics are raw, so much so that you feel as though you are surrounded by them. There is also something very soothing about singer Justin Furstenfeld's voice, it just seems to draw you in almost daring you not to listen closer. On this first offering from Blue October you can see a lot more of their Texas based "twang" rock roots, which only gives more personality to their sound.

On this record Blue October is not afraid to show what is at their core, a passion for making music with purpose. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys deep poetic lyrics with solid alternative/folk/rock sound.

Looking back on this album it is very clear why they are a band that is on the way up the music charts.

Tracks not to be missed: Breakfast After Ten, Italian Radio, For My Brother, Blue Sunshine, Black Orchid

I was first exposed to Blue October with their recent release and subsequently worked my way backwards through their earlier stuff. I now realize they are (or were?) much deeper than their slickly-produced pop-ified recent material would suggest. I like this one and its follow-up, Consent to Treatment, much better than Foiled. The material is more urgent and personal, the production cleaner and simpler, and I love the up-front violin. Foiled is good, but this album makes me appreciate it in a whole new light and gives me hope for more great music from them in the future.

This is my favorite of all the Blue October albums, though I think they are all good. Like the other albums, the subject matter revolves around madness and relationships, and is very vulnerable and revealing. I like the stripped-down, raw quality of the lyrics and music, and Justin's vocals are very different in The Answers than in other releases. The violin is also much more predominant in this album. I just like it!

Though I've seen many reveiws saying that this was "the band in it's youth", and no where near as good as their other albums, I frankly have to disagree. Though I could never pick favourites with Justin Furstenfeld's works, I have to say, if I could, this would be one of them. A wide range of heartfelt compositions make "The Answers" not only their earliest album, but one of their best.

I've seen Justin Furstenfeld live, playing his new songs acoustically, the way he wrote them. After standing there by the stage, listening to him pour his soul into this songs, I had trouble returning to the rocked out Blue October in their albums such as Foiled.

And then I found The Answers. The songs in this album send shivers down my spine and make my head spin.

If what you're used to is Blue October's newer stuff, this is not what you used to, but it's definitely worth listening to, over and over again.