Last New Review of the Year
December 23rd, 2009 - Written by stevek
—
One: Dirty Valentine
A late launch this year, ONE’s ‘Dirty Valentine’ is for the most part entertaining Post-Grunge revival Rock, albeit somewhat uneven. The album features eleven tracks, of which eight are solid rockers and three are ballads. I make this distinction because it is part of the unevenness of the album. ‘Dirty Valentine’ opens with its title track, an ambitious Arena Rocker that reminds me in many ways of bands like Tool, Mudhoney or Screaming Trees. There is anger, derision in the lyrics, though cloaked behind eloquent turns of phrase. Much of the album has the same subtle venom. The lyrical intensity and raw musical power continues through “Rescue Me” and “Back In Your Face” before the momentum grinds to a crawl on “Sorry”.
Now, it’s to be noted that “Sorry” is a great ballad, well sung and well performed. I’m reminded of Grunge-era ballads like Extreme’s “More Than Words” or “How’s It Going To Be”. The lyrics have an honesty and sincerity that is often bereft in music these days. However, as tender and poetic a song as “Sorry” is, the sad truth is that it’s out of place with the rest of the album.
After this brief interlude imposed on the rest of the album, the pace is picked up right where it was left, for two more rocking tracks before ballad number two, “Today Will Last Forever”, cuts in. This ballad has a better lead-in transition from the tail end of “Borrowed Time”, but it still feels out of place here. The album rocks on until the final track, “I Know”, which is the last of the three ballads. “I Know” is the only of the ballads that seems suited for it’s placement, designed as a lead-out track.
Overall the truth remains the same: the music, lyrics and production are all top of the line, but the placement of the ballads breaks up an otherwise perfect song-to-song flow. This is an altogether great album that could have been excellent if they’d only found a way to better fit those ballads in.
One: Dirty Valentine
Independent
Steve’s Rating: 7.5/10
—
Related Articles:
Find arcitcles with similar tags: borrowed time, confront, confront magazine, dirty valentine, extreme, i know, music, one, sorry