Customer Reviews

You Should Be Living

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Don't get me wrong, I love this album. I love it a lot. I just like "Regulate the Chemicals" a little better. This is still a fantastic album, and I'd recommend it to just about anyone (ok, maybe not to someone wearing a Billy Ray Cyrus shirt).

Twothirtyeight seems to have identified their sound on this album far more than their previous albums. Full of incredible and catchy guitar hooks and riffs, twothirtyeight found a sound that isn't quite comparable to anyone else. It is a very original album with elements of blues, jazz, and even country in the mix. The album seems to have lost the staight emo sound and moved to a much more interesting and unique flavor of indierock. The album is put together wonderfully, from the anthem "Modern Day Prayer" to the slow and dreary (and lyrically confusing) "The Bathroom is a Creepy Place for Pictures of your Friends," this album has set a new standard for Christian influenced emo/indierock and is an excellent choice for anyone. It is more accessible than "Regulate the Chemicals" and other previous albums, and it is far stronger lyrically. Chris Staples weaves his talent for songwriting beyond the spokes and straight into the hearts of his listeners.

I do have a question about the album altogether though...is track number four a self-fulfilling prophecy? This is twothirtyeight's last album, they broke up in April of 2003, and "Romancing the Ghost" deals with the idea of the group's disbanding. Anyhow, if you aren't satisfied with "You Should be Living" and the twothirtyeight back-collection, there's still hope. Chris Staples (vocals/guitar) released a solo EP entitled Burned and Blistered and I'm pretty sure it's available over the twothirtyeight website. Tooth and Nail is also releasing what I'm guessing is a compilation of B-sides and fan favorites around Christmas entitled "Scrapbook." I'm looking forward to that, and maybe to some more of Chris Staples solo work (which, by the way, is fantastic).

With You Should Be Living, their most recent album, twothirtyeight renews the rock music which many of us lament daily as an industry fallen from grace. With bands, such as the White Stripes, the Strokes, and twothirtyeight, producing music, this generation is finding the soul and honesty that has been continually compromised by other artists. The 10 tracks on this album will bring recognizance for those of you who have listened to and enjoyed Regulate the Chemicals. If you have never bought a twothirtyeight album, this or Regulate the Chemicals are strong albums that will find themselves in your cd player again and again. For those of you who have yet to see them in concert, check their website or pollstar for dates because the heart and intensity conveyed through your speakers will be soon forgotten once you experience the raw emotion and candid music of twothirtyeight in concert. Buy the album!

Let me put some perspective on the table. This is twothirtyeight's last and final album. There are no more albums after this. Also, every one of their albums from start to finish has gotten increasingly better and twothirtyeight's style has been forged into an identity; a beautiful smart identity. On this cd, the bouncing clean guitar riffs have become all their own. This is one of my favorite albums. From start to finish, there isnt one song I would skip. The musicianship here is outstanding! Let me give you a song by song outline.

1. Modern Day Prayer - The best song on the CD. Was released as first single. Very dark and utterly soul-searchingly beautiful. The lyrics on this song are my favorite, although all of twothirtyeight's lyrics are wonderful - *****

2. Sticks Are Woven in the Spokes - A moderately paced song, easy going, fun to listen to. Great stuff. - ****

3. Forty Hour Increments - The catchiest guitar hook ever. This song is brilliant from start to finish. This is a more upbeat song for twothirtyeight. This song is totally based off the guitar riffs. Spectacular. - *****

4. Romancing the Ghost - I personally think they should have put this song last on the cd. It basically outlines how twothirtyeight is over and done with. The lyrics here are brilliant. This is my second favorite song on the cd. - *****

5. That Sad and Holy Glow - Not particularly a hard song, but hard in regards to twothirtyeight's style. The lyrics here are very poetic. Reminds me of Paul Simon's lyrics. Its got a great bass line. Just so you know, if you are buying this cd for kids, this song does use the word "whore" as a metaphor. It's not raunchy though, and is used to make a point. I personally dont mind it at all. This is a great song. I love it. - *****

6. Step into the light - The guitar here has a little bit of a country feel. A somewhat slower song, but one of the best. This is a song that would be best listened to while hanging out in the middle of the desert. It shows humans unwillingness to change, and God's forgiveness that gives us freedom. Brilliant. - *****

7. Sad Semester - It's got an interesting Drum and Bass intro. This track has the funkiest beat of any song on the CD. One of my fav's. Good song to rock out to. The guitar riff really gets inside your head, and the vocals get the craziest they get here. The lyrics are great. Have some great references to the people you used to know in highschool. Gotta love it. - *****

8. I Pretend to Choke - This song has a great beat to it. Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Very inventive. This song has a lot of good change ups, with what ends up to be a sixties pop feel to it. Freakin Great. - *****

9. Rhythm & Blues - If you do skip one song, make it this one. Dont get me wrong, I personally wouldnt skip any, and I love this song. But I feel I must warn you that this is very what the title says it is. It's the song with the most blues in it. Very sad and slow. I personally love this song, I think its spectacularly and sadly beautiful. Its got a great change up in the rhythm at the end of the song. So overall, my least favorite track on the Cd, but I love it. - ****

10. Bathroom Is a Creepy Place for Pictures of Your Friends - Acoustic. Beautiful. Reminiscent of my childhood. At 2:49, I wish it was longer. Great slow closer. - *****

Oh man I love this Album. Thanks to twothirtyeight for the years of great music and inspiration.

I was turned onto twothirtyeight when we started playing "The Sticks Are Woven In the Spokes" at the college radio station I work at (listen at kxul.com) and I must say that after hearing the song twice I was hooked on twothirtyeight. That song is definitely my favorite on the album the lyrics are great and the catchy hook had me singing along after the first listen. The album is also loaded with great songs like "Modern Day Prayer" and "That Sad and Holy Glow"(the loudest rocking song on the record). As many others have said, it isn't completely fair to group 238 as an "emo" group but that's the genre that I'm most reminded of upon hearing it. The musicianship here is outstanding in that it isn't too complex but is effective in blending different styles. It kind of makes me think of the The Get Up Kids "On A Wire" at some points. My only complaint here is that I wish the guys in 238 weren't so ambiguous about their Christianity. As can obviously be seen from Modern Day Prayer the guys place their faith in God, but He isn't mentioned much throughout the rest of the album. Not that the album's lyrics aren't great, it's just that I know they are capable of writing amazing Christian lyrics after hearing "You Made A Way For Moses" (a song I think every Christian could relate to at some point in their walk with Christ). Don't get me wrong, I love the record, after all "The Bathroom Is A Creepy Place For Pictures of Your Friends" changed my entire outlook on bathroom decor.

This is, in my opinion, a perfect indie rock album from start to finish. Each song is dark and dreary but at the same time artful and beautifully crafted not to mention distinguishable from the last as well as memorable. I can't speak for their other albums, but if you're into underground rock and you want to impress your friends with something to define what you listen to, this would definitely be the album! If you like this, also reccomended are bands like Anberlin, Cool Hand Luke, Sanctus Real, Starflyer 59, Pedro the Lion (except for Achilles Heel and probably anything after), Discover America (the lead singers new band), and Mae.

Chris Staples voice and songwriting ability are only getting better with time. Modern Day Prayer is definately the best song on here. Keeping the dark mood from Regulate the Chemicals, the songs have a new twangy quality. Twothirtyeight are a fantastic band.

ok even though this cd only has 9 new songs ( "the sticks are woven in the spokes" is also on "regulate the chemicals")it is still a great album.the first 3 tracks( "modern day prayer", " the sticks are woven in the spokes" and "40 hour increments") are the best 3 opening tracks on any cd i've ever heard. even better then u2's joshua tree album. this cd is amazingly awesome. i can't believe i didn't get it the day it came out and i also can't believe i didn't see them at purple door. next year i will though. buy this album it is sweet.

After the triumphant guitar romp of "Regulate the Chemicals", the crisp pop sound of "You Should Be Living" is a bit of a letdown. Most of the songs feel too short and underdeveloped, and the production leans more toward texture and less toward power. However, Twothirtyeight recovers on the strength of their lyrics and creativity. Chris Staples' honesty and insight continue to drive his lyrics, and he stands as one of the better lyricists in rock today (certainly in the "emo" scene his band is associated with). Some nice suprises in guitar sound and melody make this one worth it in the end.

nothing good has ever come from tooth and nail records, besides joy electric and twothirtyeight...i dont even know why twothirtyeight decided to become a part of toothandnail, besides the total of maybe two times god is mentioned in their song writing...ok so basically tooth and nail records is a label which provides music for 13 year old religious girls whos parents wont let them listen to anything else. what the hell is emo... oh yea i know, definetly not this... to sum up this pointless paragraph, tooth and nail records sucks, and is for bible humpers, twothirtyeight should of never been on toothandnail, and oh yea, buy this cd, its good...and make sure you wear a tight western style button up when you do so, it just might complete the experience...