Our Lady Peace ‘Burn Burn’ CD Review
July 6th, 2009 by Stephanie Stevens
OUR LADY PEACE-BURN BURN
COALITION ENTERTAINMENT
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/OURLADYPEACE
RELEASE DATE: JULY 21, 2009
Rating: 4/5
It has been a damn long time since these Canadians have released another creative rock album. OUR LADY PEACE a band that put me in awe the first time I ever saw them live with a amazing beauty of musicianship and a vocalist who held a sold out crowd captivated and speechless with the versatility of his range.
BURN BURN is album number 7 and an album that is back on the Indie front. No major label to keep their creative nature down, its just these talented dudes doing what they did when they first started, bringing in magic and emotional valued melodies into there music. Each album has been an art piece of imagination, some had moody sound scapes, some had amazing lyrical value and some just rocked out and allured us with such natural talent. BURN BURN does all of that and more. A solid piece of work although I think GRAVITY is my all time favorite album of theirs but this one has really standout tracks and it all starts out with ALL YOU DID WAS SAVE MY LIFE. It rages with the signature sound of OUR LADY PEACE which is the catchy, upbeat and explosive elements. The lyrics push positive attitude to the edge; the vocals are on point but how they could not, Raine Maida encompasses everything a front man and songwriter should be. WHITE FLAGS is another fun rocking track, great guitar elements with a simple but catchy outcome. SIGNS OF LIFE has a great light rock and sleek vocals. NEVER GET OVER YOU is the bands ballad and I tend to be bias on any OUR LADY PEACE ballad probably because this voice just oozes emotion but this track really is a soothing simple and pretty track and shows the light side of the band. MONEKY BRAINS is the creative artsy flair of the record some sassy rock feeling, the changes of electric to acoustic, durable and active guitar tones and just edgy with a simple rock tone. DREAMLAND has a pretty piano beginning and has a big chorus and just the arrangement of the song is flawless. OUR LADY PEACE is stars in my heart and too many across the world and with this new album brings back what music is missing Integrity. Bravo!!!
Dude, Gravity is not their signature sound! Naveed is where it all started!
Gravity is a good album, but really they hit their stride with Happiness is not a Fish… I haven’t been excited for an album in a long time and I’m so pumped for this one. Lets hope these guys keep rocking for years to come!
I have to agree, “Gravity” is where their signiture sound began to die. “Naveed” was good but it was the sound of a band trying to find itself, “Clumsy” is where Mike Turner’s brilliant guitar work and Raine Maida’s captivating vocals with his mildly psychotic falsetto bits all blended into brilliance. when Mike quit the band in 2002 during the “Gravity”sessions ut was because the band label, and producer, the music murdering Bob Rock, wanted them to standardize their sound by writing ore straightforward lyrics and music, he asked Raine to sing an octabe lower and to abandon his falsetto stuff, thus resulting in the radio friendly “Gravity” sound. it was still a solid album, but not as good as their previous 4. “Healthy In Paranoid Times”, the bands 2005 offering was a crapfest of horrible vocals, tuneless songs, and horribly amaturish guitar playing
this new album is only a tiny bit better, the songs are tighter musically and lyrically, but the self production was a bad idea. Raine’s voice is still deep and powerless, a far cry from it’s manic brilliance on “Happiness” and “Machines”
I don’t think I’ll waste my money on another OLP album unless I hear that Mike has rejoined, Mazur has been fired and that Arnold Lanni is back producing
only that combination is truly Our Lady Peace!
I completely agree with Carrick. I have been following OLP since the days of Naveed and Clumsy. Although Gravity took on a popular following, it has paled in comparison to the first three albums.
I do not doubt the artistic abilities of Raine at all. The man is a lyrical genius. I just believe that the best of OLP has passed by.
Completely agree with Carrick as well.
Naveed and Clumsy are OLP. I have personally been disapointed since Happiness. No CD since Naveed and Clumsy has been complete. They have been half mediocre/half garbage CD’s IMO.
Don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but Carrick is right on. The last three albums are sad, and not in a good way. OLP’s first four were magic. Though each was different, each had its own particular beauty and contained an examination of humanity that will probably never take place again. (Sigh)