(Note: This post was scheduled for June 23, but due to technical difficulties it was delayed. I apologize for this and hope to correct such issues in the future.)
The album opens up with one of my least favorite Frankmusik tracks to date. Now this is actually a lot less harsh than it sounds because Vincent has been known to make amazing music. It is a good song, but the fact that he not only used "Chasing Shadows" as the lead-in single, but also as the first track, really give this album an awkward foot to start on. The chorus makes up for it a bit, but it's not the strongest on the album, so it seems strange that it got so much attention, even a video, when other tracks on the album are better. ONCE AGAIN: This song is still very good, it's just the least good out of a group of amazing songs.
We quickly move into familiar territory with "Map" as the second track. This was on his Far From Over EP, which served as a precursor to Between. It only makes since that he reused tracks from the EP, because they were all phenomenal. "Map" as well as "Captaian", another track from the previous EP, have undergone a few tweaks to make them sound more full. Honestly, I thought "Captain" was perfect in it's demo phase, but that's another story. "Map" sounds a lot cleaner and hopeful here.
The album is chock full of really full sounding music. This album parallels much better with his first release Complete Me, as opposed to Do It In The A.M. This is probably due to his release from his record label. One of the songs that feels most like an old school FM track is "Life Is My Revenge", capturing his wailing vocals he's so known for while having that building and pulsing sound we missed in the previous album. The track is a breakup song with a bit of a twist. Instead of getting back at his ex by hooking up with another woman to make her jealous or trying to screw her over, he's planning on living his life to the fullest to show he never needed her in the first place. It's a clever mindset and makes for a great song that can inspire people to be a bit less bitter.
The best song on the entire album comes early on. As much as I loved "Captain", I have to say that normal track "Cake" takes the lead as far as my favorite Vincent track to date. It's so high energy and peppy, keeping me bouncing along. I also like his take of a cliche and making it into a real world situation. The song has taken well with the fans, and is currently his top selling track from this album. I think fans have taken to it so quickly due to it's resemblance to "3 Little Words" from Complete Me, but the resemblance is only in it's composition. As of now, "Cake" is my favorite track by Frankmusik, all albums included.
While the album is full of great tracks, there is another that stands out as below my expectations, but for a far different reason than "Chasing Shadows". The only track to feature another artist on the album is "How Do We Know?" First off I have no idea who Cara Salimando is. Secondly, it is the only explicit track on the entire album. As a matter of fact, I believe it's the only track period to curse. It sort of derails the album's flow to have the f-bomb dropped in a thus far (and thus after) clean album. The two together sound really good, and they mesh well giving the album a much greater depth beyond being just another electro-pop album, but I believe it also distorted the feel of the album. It's a great internal conflict that I have with this song, but it will probably pass.
Another song that almost lost me, as well as the fans, was "Did Love". This song is so incredibly different from what we have heard from him before, having a much more summer/island vibe to it. I listened to it once, and then skipped over it thus after, but something (possibly guilt for skipping a Frankmusik track?) kept pulling me back to it. It is definitely a song that may have to grow on the fanbase, but it certainly has it's place on Between. It still has the electronic elements that tie it to the rest of the songs, but it's flavor is different enough to spice up the album, especially since it's placed near the end of the album to keep interest up.
Originally planned as the last song for the album "Final Song" is one of the high points emotionally for the album. It's not exactly a slow song, but it's not exactly high energy either. It's all about making a decision to stop writing songs about an ex and move on for good. While it's written from a writer's aspect, as in he's vowing to never write songs about her again, it can also be adapted into the listener's perspective by saying this will be the last time they use a song to relate to their ex. This song ties the whole theme of the album together, which is simply moving on. Between serves as a monument to what Frankmusik was in the past, and showing that he is moving forward in his life, both musically and in a personal aspect.
The final-final track, a bonus song, is another track from the Far From Over EP. "Thank You" is another one of my top favorite Frankmusik tracks to date. It has been tweaked a little since it's original EP debut, but it is essentially the same song I fell in love with. This is truly the final goodbye to things in the past, and serves as perfect timing for things happening in all of our lives. It's all about letting go of the rage of a breakup and simply thanking the other person for letting you move on in your life. There is no need for animosity or bitterness. The new FM is all about positivity, and this closing track proves that ten fold.
Between is more than an album when you really think about it. It is a journey. The beginning of the album shows him lost, the middle shows him confused, and the end reveals that he's decided to move on. The theme of Between is letting go of anger and moving on into the future. It may not be a coherent or chronological story, but it does carry an overarching message. Even speaking as a writer and not just a fan of his music, this is one of the best albums not only of this year, but from a long time. So much time and energy went into the creation of this, and it shows like a bright light.
Now that one of my longest reviews ever is done, you can always go and try and prove me right or wrong by checking it out on iTunes. Thanks for reading!
Stronger.
ReplyDeleteI was somewhat surprised to see it was missed in the review. The vocal is incredible, but the placement is in the angry/confused/sad section of the album, appropriately so.