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46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
There should be more bands like this., November 7, 2004
Blue October has everything a popular band should have: catchy melodies, raw and sincere emotion, creative yet accessible music, and enough diversity to warrant repeated listens, and assure that their sound won't grow old. And yet, they aren't popular. Why, you ask? Well, that's a good question.
"History for Sale" is an absolutely perfect album. The band covers a wide range of emotions and musical styles, making for an addictive roller coaster ride of a musical experience. Lead singer/main songwriter Justin Furstenfeld (is that an awesome name, or what?) really pours his heart and soul into his music. You can tell he means every word he sings (either that, or he's just really good at faking it). And unlike a lot of bands, who are uniformly sad, happy, angry, or whatever, these guys cover the full spectrum. The album goes from the soft, lilting "Clumsy Card House", to the full-on unbridled rage of "Razorblade", to the fluffy (yet sincere) love ballad "Calling You", to the tragic "Chameleon Boy". As I said, this album is an emotional roller coaster, and Justin conveys each emotion with power and sincerity. Plus, he's just got an awesome voice. He's been compared to such singers as Peter Gabriel, Ed Kowalczyk, and Michael Stipe, but his style really is very much his own.
And musically, the band is always keeping things interesting. The songs are layered and complex, with a lot of interesting time signatures, but the instrumentation is always focused on the song. Songs can go from gentle acoustic melodies, to jarring, heavy riffs, and the drums and bass weave deftly about them in bizarre and colorful patterns. In addition, there's also a guy that plays violin, which adds a really nice touch to it all. This often elicits comparisons to the Dave Matthews Band, and while they are definitely influenced by them, the music is much more focused and song-oriented. They're not a "jam band", in other words, like the DMB (although they probably could be if they wanted to). The violin melodies are always subtle, adding a sense of texture, and it works brilliantly.
Stylistically, the album is very diverse. "Razorblade", the angriest song on the album, is visceral hard rock with proggy complexity, "3 Weeks, She Sleeps" is a short folky song, "Come in Closer" has a mesmerizing R&B type melody, with sensuous female background vocals to underscore Justin. "Inner Glow" is melodic rock with kind of semi-rapped vocals, "Somebody" is crunchy and heavy, and "Calling You" is pure pop. Each song has its own distinct feel, and is memorable in its own way. The lyrics are deep and beautiful as well. "Razorblade" is a harrowing tale of child abuse (and I know a lot of people write about that these days, but few capture the raw emotional power like this song does). "Chameleon Boy" is a touching ballad about having to conform to other people's expectations, and the effect it can have on a person (it's dedicated to a friend of the band who died, I'm assuming of suicide, which would explain how it ties in with the lyrics). "Calling You" is an almost obsessive love song, which nearly feels like a parody given the clingy nature of the lyrics, but at the same time, it still feels sweet and sincere (oh, and there's an acoustic version as a hidden track, which is just beautiful). "Amazing" is about clinging to a dying relationship, and trying to overlook the faults, no matter how obvious they may be ("Let's pretend I'm amazing, instead of what we both know"). And, "Inner Glow" seems to be about maintaining artistic integrity in music, which is always cool to hear from a band.
Anyway, this is great stuff. I really can't emphasize it enough. If you want music that's equally creative and emotional, Blue October has got you covered. Buy this. Now.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This album demands to be listened to over and over, September 6, 2006
Blue October's songs are the most honest expression of emotions I've heard in a pop/rock band. This cd covers every range of emotion from rage to helpless love. Although it's clear that the singer/songwriter is a lot more depressed than most people, he expresses it in a way that nearly all people can connect with. His lyrics are poetic and earnest, his voice is intense and melodic. And what rock band has a violin?
Amazing is one of the sweetest and yet most depressing songs ever written. "Can we pretend I'm amazing?"
Inner Glow is the exact opposite, an energetic, exuberant expression of inner strength. "Gonna wake up strong"
Blue October may go from one extreme to another, but they're never mundane.
This album is cleaner and more well written than Consent to Treatment, and deeper than Foiled. If you buy only one Blue October album, make it this one... but why buy only one?
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
ACTUAL HISTORY FOR SALE - BUY IT !, May 28, 2007
This album, 'History For Sale', is actually that, one man's very personal thoughts, experiences and life details (history), written down, set to music, recorded in a studio, put on a CD, and presented for sale to anyone who wants to buy it.
The very personal nature of the lyrics on this album is the kind of stuff a normal person would write only in their private journal and keep to themselves for reflection. Consequently, at times listening to this album does give you the privileged but uneasy feeling that you would get when being made privy to the details of someone's personal life. Nevertheless, Justin is an artist that is willing to make us privy to his 'history', however uncomfortable, painful or personal it may be. Which results in what any great artist in any medium ultimately aspires to achieve; to bring out of oneself something unique, beautiful and meaningful from a personal place which touches others in a profound way.
Now, while this material tends to be a bit on the melancholy side you must recognize it for what it is; candid artistic expression, this stuff is NOT contrived. And while the lyrics can be melancholy, they can at the same time be very uplifting. If you've ever seen Blue October perform live you know without question that Justin's music comes from his very heart and soul. Justin's performance and the music is so emotional and powerful that the audience is at times actually moved to tears, and I'm not talking about teenage girls. It is also plain and very nice to see that not just Justin but all of Blue October are very passionate about their music. There really is no other band in America like Blue October, they are an important band, and one we should consider a very welcome alternative to the vast sea of insignificant bands deemed as acceptable listening by the mainstream powers that be. Finally, while lyrically this album may be somewhat avant-garde it is also very accessible and in the end very enjoyable to listen to. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT pass this one by.
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