USED - In Love and Death - Rockstarpix.TV

The Used

“In Love and Death”

Reprise Records 2004

CD Review By Keith Joseph, Rockstarpix.TV

The Used have become one of the most popular hardcore-emo bands in recent years. Their first release started off selling slowly but as songs were released, they became more popular and kept gaining popularity with their energetic live show. They also had a little help when lead singer Bert McCracken dates Kelly Osborne, which gave the band a lot of publicity, wanted or unwanted.

The album begins with “Take It Away” which is also the first single of the new album. This is one of the hardest, fastest songs on the album. Sounds just like most of the songs on their first album. The song is a good opener, starts it off and gets the listener’s blood flowing a bit. “I Caught Fire” is the second track on the album. Guitarist Quin Allman and bassist Jeph Howard really get the song going from the beginning. The song showcases how good Bert’s voice really is, with out screaming and a little less energy. The song is not as aggressive as most songs that the band have previously written. It’s a good rock song with very good backing vocals which are more apparent towards the end of the track. “All That I’ve Got” is the fourth track on the album and it is very slower paced and a lot more chill than their usual work. The song is kind of lame, not too much going for it, the lyrics are very simple and the song is just not a very good listen. “Cut up Angels” is a track that really shows how The Used is open to new ideas. The song has a good pop-rock song but the chorus is dismal. There is even a piano in the song, but the song is just so out there for this band that it is lacking.

“Listening” is a faster, more rock derived song than the previous two tracks. The song brings back the sound that The Used is known for. Bert screams a lot in this song and the chorus has an awkwardly good sound. The lyrics lack in the song, not very creative, an average track by the group. “Light with a Sharpened Edge” is a complete bright spot on the album. The song sounds very different; this was one experiment that went through perfectly. The song has tempo changes, catchy choruses and is really a great listen. “Sound Effects and Overdramatics” would have fit perfectly on the first album, so perfectly that I felt as if I heard it before when it was my first listen. The song is an average hardcore song, nothing too special. The song is fueled by Branden Steineckert’s drum playing. “Hard to Say” is a very, very good song. The beginning of the song sounds very mysterious. Bert’s vocals are show more emotion in this song than any song on either record. It seems as if the song is very personal, and may be about a loss of a loved one. In the thank you section, Bert writes about a friend/loved one who past away, this song must be the one dedicated to her life. “Lunacy Fringe” has a very different sound, using a lot of acoustic guitar and soft drum sounds. The song is different, but makes the album better. “I’m A Fake” is a great ending song. The song begins with Bert proclaiming his words and soon after the instruments come together and the band rips out the finishing track. The song is very catchy, and aggressive. The song finishes the album well; this is a song that would be a crowd pleaser at a live performance.

The Used have gained so much popularity through out the past two years. They have been constantly touring and selling out huge venues. They deserve credit for sticking with John Feldmann as their producer because he is the man that got them where they are today by getting their demo out to labels. He had also helped out bands such as Mest, and Story of the Year. This album showed a different, more open side of the band. Even if some tracks didn’t sound right, they were still open to try new things with the record. They had songs that were more than just a hardcore song with a lot of screaming. One of the best parts about this album is the great artwork that the band has used. The booklet is filled with great, a little scary or weird artwork.

Fans of Story of the Year, My Chemical Romance, and Senses Fail will enjoy The Used. Most people do not need to hear what bands they relate to because most people have had the chance to hear them one way or another. This is one of the few bands that make the radio a bit worth listening to but it still needs much more help.

Rating - C (7)

Significant Tracks- “I’m A Fake”, “Hard to Say”, “I Caught Fire”, “Light with a Sharpened Edge”

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Rockstarpix.TV Producer - Mike Giambra

Michael Giambra produces an impressive, professional still and video portfolio with his production of RockstarPix TV. For the past 20 years, he has completed freelance and commercial assignments with a number of major US and Canadian music publishing giants. "Giambra’s work is a visual showcase of optical landmarks of news, sports, politics, and social documentation focusing primarily on his passion, rock music." Michael’s traditional still silver and color photography archives have been printed, displayed & appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times, Miami Herald, Associated Press (Miami, FL Bureau)Reuters News Service, Associated Press & Gannett Newspapers / USA TODAY and Buffalo Spree Magazine. His current video production company RockstarPix TV/ Michael Giambra Productions is working on a number of new music and video interview segments with musicians and entertainers from around the world.