Customer Reviews

Gravity

5 star:		(135)
4 star:		(69)
3 star:		(35)
2 star:		(37)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

With Gravity, Our Lady Peace's newest release, they clean up their act quite a bit and produce songs with more polish and pop sensibility than ever before. While radio and new fans might find this appealing, more hardcore fans like myself will tend to be dissapointed. The album itself is not bad, but after chronological improvement in each album they release, this one seems to be a letdown. There are numerous problems that could have lead to this lacking effort. First of all, Mike Turner, OLP's original guitarist left the band for creative differences. I can see why he did. The new guitarist Steve Mazur isn't bad but is definitely not on par with the guitarwork of Turner. Turner really knew how to compliment Raine's interesting vocal stylings, Mazur doesn't do that as well. Speaking of vocal stylings, Raine Maida's performance, while not bad at all, is not his usual self. It's like he purposely tried to limit his style, and cut back on the things that made his singing interesting. Also, the album's sound is lacking. It tends to be muddy, especially when the power chords kick in. And believe me, the power chords kick in. The new guitarist brings with him little of the intricate picking and melodies of Turner, and limits himself to simple riffing without many fills or leads. After an album (that's the wonderful Spiritual Machines) that had 2-3 guitar tracks complimenting themselves and the music, only one straight ahead riff feels inadequate. I credit most of these problems to Bob Rock, OLP's new producer. Arnold Lanni, the previous producer knew the band and really clicked with them. Bob Rock does not, and that's a shame. Even Raine's lyrics, which have always been inventive and fairly good, are severely suffering here. They fall too quickly into cliches. Raine says this is because Our Lady Peace is now more "down to earth". Fine, good, wonderful, but do the fans or the musicians really want the band to be down to earth? Isn't being down to earth limiting on the artistic value? It's all an excuse because the album is rushed,, and that is also a shame.

So with that long list of moaning and complaining, why 4 stars? Because even with those faults, the music is still above average just because of the talent of the band. All For You is the heaviest on the album, and retains the familiar OLP sound. Innocent, Made Of Steel, Somewhere Out There and Do You Like It explore soft/heavy melodies and uplifting lyrics. The best songs though, are the ones that aren't so sunny. Sell My Soul soars and recedes and possesses wondeful dynamics. Bring Back The Sun is the albums strogest track, it is docile, remorseful and moving. Not Enough is fairly good as well, although Bob Rock's horrid producing track record rubs off on this one. (This guy did Motley Crue for God's sake). Today and A Story About a Girl are basically filler.

So, after all that said, Gravity is a good purchase for fans of OLP because it's OLP and it isn't bad. It's actually pretty damn good. But if this is the band's new direction, I don't know if I will be able to say that about future releases. Thanks for reading.

Dan

I'm going to qualify each of the two stars I'm giving this record, and it's going to take me a few paragraphs. Those who'd like to rate this review "unhelpful" simply because they disagree with it are advised to read the below, or at least pretend to read to it (most will do neither).

I am an Our Lady Peace fan. I've been so for years, and there isn't much I don't know about the band. From the 1992's independant video "Out of Here" featuring the long-departed drummer Jim Newell, to lost songs "Home" and "Sleeping In," to the source material for the band's disjointed concept record Spiritual Machines, I've done my homework.

OLP has taken on many guises in the last decade, and I've welcomed each. They've evolved from a gritty grunge band to an alternative sensation, with the records Naveed and Clumsy, and then redefined themselves completely with the brilliantly challenging Happiness . . . Is Not A Fish That You Can Catch.

I consider those records a trilogy. There are somewhat trivial reasons . . . each has Sol Fox on the cover, the first single and lead-off track has the word "man" in the title -- but they also map a clear creative trajectory. You can see, or rather hear, the band striving to become itself. And with Happiness, they did: any trace of their grunge and alternative roots was shed, and what remained was a coherent, complete, and stimulating album which contained the music of a band working passionately, feverishly, and as a whole.

Predictably, the record sold a fraction of the more accessible Clumsy.

Happiness was followed by a good, but fractured disc exporing the concept of machines who become, intellectually and emotionally, human. Coming scarcely a year after Happiness, I really didn't care for an album that seemed a sudden step backward; the band spoke openly about simplifying their sound, getting back to basics, and so on, and the results were uneven.

But all the albums were held together by each member's quirky talents: Raine Maida's unique voice, Jeremy Taggart's innovative drumming, and so forth. From phase to phase, the albums were always recognizable as Our Lady Peace.

Under their contract with Sony, the band had complete creative control, which they've now signed away for a new contract with Metallica producer Bob Rock.

Under this new contract Rock reigns. He cut two songs from Gravity because he didn't care for them. He told Taggart -- arguably the band's most talented member -- to be "less busy" on the drums, and he directed Raine Maida to tone down his distinctive vocal quirks.

It was in this atmosphere of simplification and mediocrity that founding guitarist Mike Turner left the band. I can't say I blame him. I don't blame Rock either; the remaining three members willingly signed the new contract, and should shoulder significant responsibility for the band's descent into easily-swallowed arena-rock-pop.

New guitarist Steve Mazur was not recruited from thousands of fans worldwide. Such a contest was conducted but Mazur was only taken on after filling in for Turner as a session guitarist, even as the contest took place.

The record itself is a mess of meaningless lyrics, tedious power-chords and thin, forumalaic song structure. Maida, who has written with intelligence and passion, tosses off such gems as "I can be anything you want me to be/A punching bag/A piece of string, oh/That reminds you not to think."

Taggart's distinct jazz-style percussion has been watered down so as to be indistinguishable from the time-keeping of Nickelback, Default, Creed, and the like.

Under Rock's direction, the band no longer plays to its strengths. It plays to the demands of the marketplace -- and if the above mentioned bands are selling, this is the type of music OLP must make.

Teeny-boppers will enjoy the record and the accompanying video because "RAIN IZ SUCH A HOTTIEE!!!!!" and because of the pop sensibilities of the record. Fans of music, fans of Our Lady Peace's sonically diverse but always impressive past efforts, will find Gravity tiresome, cold, and temporary.

Well, I guess I'm just going to be saying what a lot of people have already said: As a radio-friendly rock record, "Gravity" is pretty good. Better than most of the other bands you'll hear on the airwaves. But "Gravity" just can't hold a candle to ANY of Our Lady Peace's previous releases. Mike Turner's creative guitar melodies are gone in favor of playing which is much more fueled by bland power-chords. Raine Maida's singing has lost most of the eccentricity that made it unique, which goes hand-in-hand with cliche lyrics. Bob Rock's production seems only to have watered down the music, getting rid of the mood that helped make "Spiritual Machines" great. And fans of "Naveed," don't be fooled - this is not a return to "Naveed's" style. While both albums are certainly heavier than the three which separate them, "Naveed" still had inspired music, thoughtful lyrics, and quirky singing; "Gravity" does not.

So, as an Our Lady Peace record, "Gravity" is disappointing. But it's definitely still enjoyable and catchy. In fact, from any other band, I'd probably find this album rather impressive. It's just that Our Lady Peace are capable of a LOT more. In the end, "Gravity" is a worthwhile purchase - just don't expect it to be as good as the band's past offerings.

My feelings about this album... well it is poor because Our Lady Peace always had a unique sound and now quite frankly now they sound like everyone else out there. I'm going to agree with the others who have reviewed this album that Bob Rock is no Arnold Lanni this is a luke warm album. They produced the whole thing in ten weeks and believe me you can tell the whole thing feels rushed, I mean even the cover look at it, grey yeah it is quite fitting. Some think this is a return to OLP's roots I disagree I've been a fan of there's eight years If there going to make more albums like this they should change there name I don't want the words Our Lady Peace on this material. Thank you Mr Bob Rock.

As a long-time fan of Our Lady Peace, it was quite a surprise to pick up my copy of Gravity and find that the band's style of music had changed drastically during the recording of the new album. Not only are the lyrics noticeably simplified, but also, the vocals are much deeper and huskier to the point that the rock star's trademark 'nasal' voice is now almost unrecognizable. However, the change is not necessarily a negative one; I enjoyed the smoother vocals and strong bass lines that define Gravity. Steve Mazur has proven a competent replacement for former guitarist Mike Turner. Producer Bob Rock has taken Raine Maida's lyrics and removed much of its cryptic quality, and as a result the songs are generally straightforward and rely less on metaphors to get their meaning across. Our Lady Peace has lost some of the uniqueness that originally made them stand out as one of the leaders in the world of rock music. Regardless of the new style, I grew to appreciate Gravity and found myself listening to it frequently.

Fans will enjoy the fast-paced "All For You" and the anthemic "Do You Like It", the two opening tracks. The majority of Gravity's songs are easy to listen to and radio-friendly, perhaps a result of the band's becoming more mainstream. "Sell My Soul" is the odd one out. It has a slow, eerie quality that one grows to appreciate after a few repetitions of the CD. "Innocent", the new single and one of my personal favourites, is an uplifting song about facing personal fears and overcoming weakness. No matter who the audience, listeners will likely find themselves identifying with the story behind the lyrics and singing along. "A Story About A Girl" is an enigmatic song with a catchy, stuck-in-your-head melody interspersed with strong guitar riffs by Mike Turner (who makes three cameo appearances on the album). Lyricwise, "Not Enough" stands out as one of the calmer songs, yet is far from being dull. Raine's soulful vocals give a rugged quality to the song in what may be the one track most resembling Our Lady Peace's older works.

Overall, I recommend Gravity to those who enjoy decent rock music that is just a tad unconventional. While critics will undoubtedly be pleased with Raine's new style of singing, it is likely that hardcore fans will miss the old sound they have become accustomed to. It is clear that Our Lady Peace is going through the process of rediscovering themselves as a band, of evolving and experimenting with new styles.

Evolving, but into what?

Well, its been said numerous times in the previous reviews and by now, I'm sure no one is even reading these but I wanted to write this anyway. I love Our Lady Peace and although it is tempting to use love in the past tense I won't yet. I still hold out hope for the future. Naveed is a great album that managed to stand out in the grunge era when everything was starting to sound the same. Clumsy was the crossover into more commercial territory in that in included some songs ready for rock radio but at the same time the album was not selling out at all with all of its non-mainstream experimental flourishes. Happiness... is their finest album to date, with Raine coming into his own as one of the best lyricists aand songwriters around. The songs were marvels of soundscape and melody. Raine toned down his nasal voice from Clumsy to a perfect balance. Spiritual Machines is a very worthy follow-up, coming close to its predecessor but honestly, it did not have to be a concept album. Still, it has some of their best work to date.

Then comes Gravity. I am too big of a fan to write off this album completely. I am not forgiving them for how they changed but I am an open-minded enough listener to give them credit where it is due. Unlike some posters, I don't believe there is anything inherently wrong with them wanting to be more MTV/Top 40 Radio mainstream. But I just wish they didn't have to become so GENERIC.

Gravity has a few Classic Our Lady Peace moments. It even has some good parts that don't sound like them but are good anyway. Bring Back The Sun is an amazing song that could have been on Happiness... or Spiritual Machines and fit in perfectly. I'm sure the fact that Mike Turner (their former guitarist) is credited as a songwriter is no coincidence. Sorry and Story About A Girl are packed full of hooks. They demonstrate Raine's pop songwriting sensibilities very well. In fact, Sorry holds a special place for me as it is the only song besides the aforementioned Bring Back The Sun where we get to hear Raine's unique falsetto. However, the lyrics for both are ridiculously dumb and shallow. Not Enough has a powerful breakdown part too.

The rest of the album is awful, musically and lyrically. It is generic rock at its worst. It feels like Raine bought a book about song structure and lyrics for modern rock radio and followed it to a tee. The dynamic in the songs is almost always the same. The solos are uninspired and lame. The production is soooo polished it makes me sick. These songs aren't just bad for OLP, they are bad for Linkin Park. Sell My Soul is unmemorable in every way with one of the worst choruses I have ever heard. Somewhere Out There is Raine's worst vocal performance ever. Made Of Steel sounds like a Matchbox 20 B side, or scratch that, a song Rob Thomas would have thrown away. How dare they even name a track that after their fantastic Superman's Dead. Innocent may be a little catchy but it is a carbon copy of Life from Spiritual Machines only with stupid rhyming dictionary lyrics.

Maybe their next album will return to form but I doubt it. There may be a decent track or two but I sense the OLP I knew and loved is gone. And now Raine is writing for Avril Lavigne. Whatever.

I have been a HUGE fan of Our Lady Peace since their breakout track, Superman's Dead was released in Canada. I, of course bought all the other the albums as soon as they came out. Clumsy was amazing, as was Happiness and Naveed, but the most amazing album I have heard is Spiritual Machines. After its release, I couldnt wait until the next album, hoping it would live up to Spiritual Machines. I bought this the day it came out, and listened to it right away-and was shocked at what I heard.
To sum it up, it [stinks]. Everything about it is horrible. The opening track, All For You is one of the worst songs ever written, by any band. One of the albums only good songs is the second track, entitled Do You Like It-this is the closest song to any previously released by Our Lady Peace, and it is awesome. The CD's first single, Somewhere Out There is more annoying each time I listen to it or hear it on the radio-enough said. The albums other good track, Innocent follows-its an awesome song, but why the heck did they put that choir in the back??
Basically all the following songs are horrible, with no point to them what-so-ever. The first time I listened to it, I had to stop it after the 5th or 6th song-my ears couldn't take the dreck anymore. I have since attempted to listen to it again, as it is Our Lady Peace, so I wanted to give them another chance-same thing, I couldn't listen anymore. When I compare it to Spiritual Machines or any other of their albums, I can't believe it is the same band.
As for the new guitarist, lets just say the band would sound better without one now-this guy is just a punk with lots of distortion, to get some mainstream radio-play. All the songs feature the same structure-quiet verse, with the distortion cranked up for the choruses-talk about a copy from the equally Nickelback.
I would rather not have had the band release this album if it would mean we could have an album equal to Spiritual Machines in a year or 2.
The only reason to buy this album is if you have the Our Lady Peace collection, and want them all, no matter how horrible they are.
Its a shame to see such talent transform themselves into this-a band just like everybody elese.
Thanks for reading, I just had to write something about this.

I have to say that I was greatly dissapointed...not with the album - but rather with the general response it received. This album defies any law of what "rock" should or shouldn't be; I admit, their sound HAS changed, but definitely NOT for the worst. Any true fan can't blame OLP for wanting to generate album sales and expand their fan base...I mean, a band that exudes such a talent as theirs need not hide in the shadows; they've been around for so long, it's time they received some recognition...this doesn't mean they've sold out. With "Gravity", they've merely touched upon a new formula of music-making. Raine still profoundly conveys himself through each lyrical expression; the songs are neither jaded nor blase, simply well-crafted. People are complaining there's no controversial ideas in the songs - well BIG deal!! There's so much other substance to propel this album. I find, that no matter what mood I'm in, as soon as the record starts playing, I'm caught in whatever emotion the song emits. It's an awesome album, and if you've already bought the first few, there's no point in leaving this on the shelves. I've been an OLP fan for years, and I'm not about to forsake my dedication simply because this album sounds "different" from the rest. Sometimes, things change for the better. This is absolutely one of those times.

It seems to me that this album, more than anything else, is a concept album. Listening to it, I got a repeated, constant message. I tried to formulate this concept into a phrase or term and nothing sounded quite right until I looked again at the album's title: Gravity. Instantly it was simple.
Gravity is the force that brings you down. Gravity keeps you on the ground where otherwise you would be lifted. As with Not Enough and Do You Like It, Gravity seems to have a heavier feel, the lyrics weigh you down with their absence of hope. In Sorry and A Story About A Girl, you can hear in the words the immediate possibility of admitting a little joy, swiftly kicked back down with the two phrases that cancel out the last two stanzas. When trying to lift themselves, Gravity seems to bring them back down.
Now for the good news: with all of its weightiness, Gravity sounds infinitely tighter than any of their previous CD's. Everything feeds off of the last note or beat, making the timing impeccable and the melody defined and mapped out. It's obvious that they worked very hard at honing their sound and producing a CD that left no room for ambivalence. While many fans, however, are such because of the formatted clumsiness (no pun intended) of their previous music, and because of the admittance of songs that let you soar above Gravity, this may be something of a misstep.
In another piece of good news, though, Maida's vocals, which were passionate in Naveed and Spiritual Machines, but somewhat subdued in Happiness... and Clumsy, are still forefront and passionate, driving the song.
These changes can be attributed to lots of things, such as guitarist Mike Turner leaving the band and being replaced by Steve Mazur. Maida himself admits that Turner's style "was more ethereal", but that they "kind of ended up going in separate paths". When working with Bob Rock, after producing four records with Arnold Lanni, they were told that they were "a rock band, but you're not letting yourself be the rock band you want to be." Does this mean making their sound more streamlined? Sure. Does it mean making it more "main"-lined? It shouldn't have. With the tightness of the album, the passion of the vocals, the clever weave of the weighty lyrics, comes a specific sound that some may not be able to identify or understand why it doesn't appeal to them: it sounds more like the rock out there on the radio every day. It sounds more like the uniform sounds of every other successful modern rock band out there, to make a wide generalization.
Bob Rock encouraged them to be heavier, Maida said, as well as simpler. As the producer of bands such as Metallica and Aerosmith, this is understandable, but if he had been a long-time fan of OLP, as many of us are, he would have understood that the complexity and absence of that heavy modern-rock feel is what drew us to them. They were different: we loved them for it.
At the end of the ten songs, a fan can only think a few things. They are, without a doubt, getting better and better. Their direction, however, may not appeal to very many. The only thing to do is wait for the next record and hope they've recovered that brilliant complexity which made for songs that defied Gravity.

I was lucky enough to hear Our Lady Peace on the Armageddon soundtrack, with the searing, fast, loud track "Starseed". This prompted me to buy OLP's record Clumsy, even though this osng wasn't on it. The first disc (and the best), Naveed, is a tricky CD to find down here, I had to get it online. Thank God I got into OLP then, and I knew what kind of stuff they can do. Me being a fan now established, I can begin my review.

Down here in the states, OLP got no radio play. None. That was, of course until the megahit "Somewhere Out There". OLP was finally getting the airplay they deserved. Only one problem. This isn't OLP! There is no searing "Starseed". There is no screeching "Superman's Dead". There is no hint of my favorite song, the deeply emotional "Naveed", on this CD. None. Instead, we have pop musicians that play their own instruments.

That being said, it's not a bad CD. "Somewhere Out There", All For You", and "Bring Back the Sun" are good songs, but, like the other seven songs, they repeat form. Verse. Chorus. Verse. Chorus. Bridge. Loud Chorus. End. Not what I expect from what I consider brilliant musicians (minus former guitarist Mike Turner, who left, much more disgusted with this album than I).

This is a good CD. It really is. But it is not Our Lady Peace. Their previous records, especially the orgasmic Naveed, provide a much more entertaining and satisfying experience. I expected better. Hopefully OLP can dump this sound now that they have broken mainstream and go back to being their rocking best.