Disco de The Used: “Used”

I am a big fan of the genre they call pop punk, with my favorite band being MxPx. But once I was infected with the likes of the Used, Finch and Glassjaw, I just could not stop listening! This CD not only has great tunes and awesome screaming, but its extremely powerful. Not one song is bad, and not one song is mediocre! Every song is awesome! Heres how I rate them, with 10 being the best, and 1 the worst(even though none of the songs come close to a 1).

1.Maybe Memories - A great opener with a Deftone vibe. I have heard this song is about the lead singer Bert McCracken's dark, drug filled past. 9/10

2.The Taste of Ink - Another great song, great lyrics and great tune. Not as much screaming and power as track one, but it has an infectious tune and vibe, with an awesome chorus. 10/10

3.Bulimic - A great song once again, what more can I say? The phrase "a great song" is becoming a cliche now. The chorus is great on this song...as a matter of fact everything is great. Once again the lyrics send a message. 9/10

4.Say Days Ago - Awesome song, but not as good as the others. Its got a great heavy opening vibe to it and a scream-along prechorus. 9/10

5.Poetic Tragedy - Powerful song with amazing lyrics. A lot softer than the other tracks on the CD, but its probably one of the best songs. The songs about a poet/singer whose career becomes tragedy due to substance abuse. Very powerful. 10/10

6.Buried Myself Alive - When I first heard this song, I was left speechless!!! The best song on the CD, undoubtedly! It is a very powerful song, mixed with awesome lyrics, and a very very good chorus! Completely amazing! 15/10 hehe

7.A Box Full of Sharp Objects - The first single of the CD, and a very good choice. It represents the band's metal vibes and exemplifies a good amount of Bert's screaming. The video is also included on this CD in the enhanced part of it, so be sure to watch that also. 10/10

8.Blue and Yellow - A great song, with a lot less power and lyrics than the other songs, but its still got that awesome vibe and power that makes it an awesome song. 8/10

9.Greener with the Scenery - Amazing song, great lyrics to relate to if youve ever had a girl who plays games with your heart. I love the chorus. 10/10

10. Noises and Kisses - Not as good as the rest of the CD, but still a great CD. Its a good song to listen to and isn't worth skipping. Another great song with a great chorus from these guys. 8/10

11.On My Own - An amazingly powerful song with a very heavy and moving orchestral background. The mix of the acoustic guitar with this sort of saddening orchestral melody makes this song a must-listen! 2nd best song on the CD. 10/10

12.Pieces Mended - A very heavy, and great way to close out the CD.... 9/10

Hidden Track: Choke Me - I love listening to this song! Its such a good song to listen to when you are (mad). Lotsa screaming and lots of power and amazing guitar part! It comes about 7 minutes into the final track (#12). It starts out with you listening to Bert get a surprise birthday gift from the rest of the guys, when they ordered the fattest stripper in London to come over and...yeh...you get it. 10/10

All in all, this CD is absolutely amazing! John Feldmann, the lead singer of the also amazing band Goldfinger, produced this CD and did a great job. I cannot wait to see the Used at the Warped Tour this summer! They are gonna rock!! Later folks.

The Used have developed a nearly flawless and perfect album. Every song from start to finish is awesome and full of emotion and energy. Though it seems odd to praise a lead singer whose main strength is a freightening scream, Bert McCraken takes listeners to a new height of musical emotion. The other band members blend together perfectly to make a flawless band. This CD is perhaps the greatest and most fun CD ever.

Maybe Memories- Very up tempo song, Bert quickly shows off his singing abilities and vocal range. The band also displays its unique rock music sound. 9/10

The Taste of Ink- A radio friendly hit. The song is very appealing to the ears and never seems to grow old. The dualing vocals by Bert are superb and the music flows very nicely. 10/10

Bulimic- The song is unbeleiveable. Nice opening guitar and the song suddenly takes off with a high pace. The chourus is awesome and the progressions of the song turn this into a very strong song. 10/10

Say Days Ago- This song takes off from the beginning with heavy drums and guitars. The vocals are amazing and the song has excellent feel to it. One of the heaviest songs on the album. 9.5/10

Poetic Tragedy- The band really shows its diversity and takes a different direction on this song. Very soothing and soft throughout the beginning of the song. The music creates an nice atmospshere and the lyrics and the vocals are perfect. Towards the end Bert takes over with his screaming and makes this song a masterpiece. 11/10

Buried Myself Alive- The number one single from this album. Everything about this song is perfect. The drums are awesome, the guitars sweet, and the singing flawless. The song has a rocking and uptempo pace to it. If you can't fall in love with this song, this music sytle is not for you. 15/10

Box Full of Sharp Objects- This song gives the band its image and put them on the map. It is crazy and FULL OF ENERGY. If you want to know what Bert McCraken's screams are all about check this song out. The music rocks and the song is a fan favorite. 11/10

Blue and Yellow- another single from the album. The song is very soft and peaceful. The piano at the beginning is amazing. Bert's vocals makes this song. He takes a simple song and turns it into something unbeliveable. 10/10

Greener with the Scenery- This is a beautiful song and seems to be a fan favorite. The music seems to blend perfectly with the vocals and the LYRICS. The words almost seem to be expressed in the music it's strange (you just have to listen). 10/10

Noise and Kisses- My personal favorite. The drums are sweet at the beginning and the guitars take the song right into Bert's vocals. The lyrics are unbeleiveable and the music flows throughout the whole song. 20/10

On My Own- Peaceful song with beautiful guitars. Once again Bert's voice takes over and the band turns out another awesome song. 10/10

Pieces Mended- Awesome opening with a sweet mix of drums and guitar riffs. At first it appears that the music is what makes this song, but once again Bert doesn't fail, delivering heart-felt vocals. 9/10

Choke Me- This song is on the same track as Pieces Mended you just have to fast forward a little bit after the song. This is crazy, crazy song. Bert screams his throat out during this song and the music is crazy as well. Its an interesting song to listen to, but it's a bonus track for a reason. It's just a nice little add on and it's not as good as the other stuff--but hey it's cool. 7/10

Make sure you go out and get the Maybe Memories DVD. On the CD the best Used song ever is on it. Alone this Holiday is the most amazing song in the world. Also It Could be a Good Excuse and Zero Mechanism deserve to be on this album as they are awesome songs.

Go buy The Used-- You will fall in love with this music.

I can't even tell you the last time I had a cd which I listened to as non stop as I do this one. Since it's June release, it has not even left my sight. The music, the lyrics, the emotion in Bert McCracken's vocals is just unbelievable. The Used are uncatergorical - you don't want to call them "emo", nor can you truly call them "hardcore" - the best thing to call them is amazing. From the poppy ("The Taste of Ink"), to the angry ("Choke Me","Box Full of Sharp Objects"), the heart-wrenching,("Blue and Yellow""Buried Myself Alive") and the outright mind-blowing("Noise and Kisses","Pieces Mended") - The Used never disappoint. Buy this record NOW!

i can't believe it's been four years since this album was released. yet, i still listen to this album often today even though i have a 500+ cd library. i really can't describe how much this band and this album means to me. before the used came along i was in the whole "nu metal" stage and that's all i listened to. then i heard the song "a box of sharp objects" and i thought "wow", this is really awesome and different. i then bought the cd and i was amazed at what i had just heard. it was so different from anything i've ever heard and i loved it! the cd was beautiful, full of emotion, yet has lots of passion and angst with the screaming/singing mix. not to mention the passionate, poetic lyrics that really hit home and strike you deep, deep down. it was right at that moment when my taste in music changed. from there, i got into finch, thursday, glassjaw, thrice, coheed and cambria, the early november, taking back sunday, and so on. so i just want to send a thank you out to the used for opening my eyes to this new, different style of music and showing me what "real" music is.

although, as of today (june 2006) this type of screamo/emo music trend is so watered down, i feel priviledged to have known this album and the following pioneers of this genre before this style of music started to plummit (which would have been 2004).

with my personal feelings aside, this is one of the best albums out there. like i said, they are one of the pioneers of screamo and if you like that style of music, then you'll definitely love this cd. this album is on the same level with brand new's "deja entendu", finch's "what it is to burn", taking back sunday's "tell all your friends", thursday's "full collapse", coheed and cambria's "second stage of turbine blade". those albums, all of which are classics in this genre.

as for comparing this to their latest release "in love and death", it definitely tops it. although their new cd is good, it just doesn't have the same passion, rawness, poetic lyrics, and emotion as this album does. it's very polished and sounds more mainstream and poppy then this one does. nonetheless, if you're a fan of this band then you'll definitely like both albums.

as for standouts, that's hard. every single song on this cd means something special to me in a different way. with each song i can specifically remember experiences in my life or what i was doing when i was listening to that song. talk about a record having an impact on someone...

i would say that this cd is for everyone but it does have an acquired taste due to the raw, screaming vocals. if you can just overlook the screaming and concentrate on the songs and the emotion that the album is conveying the screaming fits in perfectly with the soothing, mesmermizing melodies of bert mccracken and the used. this cd is a classic and you're cd collection or your life shouldn't be without it...

Brilliantly combining elements of emo, punk & traces of hardcore with pop & commercial rock, The Used has forged a powerfully emotional, highly dynamic, and melodically appealing brand of music that conjures up images of Thursday, Finch, Taking Back Sunday, and Open Hand, yet also possesses its own unique flair. Sonically, The Used composes striking soundscapes that are a blend of sharp, inventive riffs, memorable hooks, & sweeping melodies inlaid with compelling rhythms and versatile drumwork, all of which is executed through tight musicianship and with excellent precision. Composition wise, songs are diverse and well arranged, featuring defined progressions, varying tempo shifts, and effective breakdowns, not to mention superb use of contrasting elements. Vocally, Bert McCraken leads the way with his meaningful lyrics and The Juliana Theory/Thursday-like vocals that range from beautiful harmonies & pop hooks to hardcore-influenced screams & cathartic Glassjaw-like expressionism, while strong backing vocals provide an additional characteristic. Overall, The Used have come a long way in a very short period of time, showcasing greater maturity & confidence compared to past efforts, while honing their sound into a more distinctive state. Truth be told, The Used have taken a more melodically driven, commercially accessible direction with their music, and are utilizing ideas that are not exactly original or groundbreaking, but in the end, those are just moot points when dealing with the pure emotion & integrity that emanates from the band.

In a time where such emo-inspired bands as Thursday, Jimmy Eat World, Dashboard Confessional, Glassjaw and Taking Back Sunday are flourishing, The Used have emerged with their S/T debut, which contains elements of the aforementioned bands, yet takes the entire "emo" scene to a whole new level of accessibility. With songs ranging from pop-like anthems & acoustic ballads to soaring rock numbers and hardcore-tinged designs, The Used's 12-track debut is a diverse, yet appealing album that captures the heartfelt emotion of the band in all of its raw anger, beauty & pain. Leading off the album in explosive fashion is Maybe Memories, which, along with Box Full Of Sharp Objects, are dynamic, aggressive/melodic-contrasting songs, with the former dealing with Bert McCraken's drug-related past. From there, the album introduces the more accessible side of the band, led by the ultra-catchy, pop-punk anthem The Taste Of Ink - a revised song that appears on the 2001 3-song demo, along with Maybe Memories and Box Full Of Sharp Objects - and is a track that represents the story of the band. Other highly infectious songs includes Blue And Yellow and Buried Myself Alive, both of which are melodically driven, emo-rock/pop-punk inspired tracks with the latter featuring powerfully emotional choruses. Showcasing yet another side to the band is the beautiful & heartrending acoustic ballad On My Own, while Poetic Tragedy is an emotional, melodic ballad that also contains traces of pop and hardcore screaming. Rounding out the album are such vigorous, yet catchy melodic contrasting songs as Bulimic & Say Days Ago, the emo/indie-like Greener With Scenery that shows traces of Sunny Day Real Estate, the groove-driven Noise And Kisses with its hardcore-like breakdown, and the semi-upbeat, emotional ending track Pieces Mended. In the end, The Used have recorded a very impressive debut that, while it may be criticized for its lack of overall originality & commercialized nature, should easily appeal to listeners of all genres, with its genre-spanning diversity, sincere emotion, and sense of timelessness...