I am a HUGE fan of Daughtry. Daughtry is a hard rock band, with the frontman being Chris Daugtry, who we all know was from American Idol. Sadly, he did not win, but fortunately, the fans stuck by him & has made his band a household name. The band is probably my all-time favorite & thats a pretty big deal. I have Nickelback, Seether, 3 Doors Down, Three Days Grace, etc. All what Daughtry is, but no one can top Chris Daughtry's amazingingly stunning voice. The band released their debut album back in the winter of 2006 & since then, they have shot right up there. Their album was really good; it had I believe 3 or 4 number one singles & it was very consistent. Now, 2 & a half years later, their back & kicking butt again!
The first track that starts this amazing record off is You Don't Belong. This track is heavy on pounding away with crunchy guitars & faded in & out vocals. It's powerful, raw & it's a great start for the record. It definitely reminds me of a song that 3 Days Grace would make. The first single, No Surpriseis a track that shows a different approach for the band, well, slightly shows. In this song, you can tell the band played with their instruments a little bit more instead of going straight into a raging chorus. Also, Chris' vocals have been tweaked somehow into this "rocking country" tone. This does appear throughout this record. Everytime You Turn Around is a track that has the "old" Daughtry sound. Very commercial & catchy much like the band, Nickelback. There is definitely no wrong in this, I'm just glad they did a one or two songs that showed us what made them popular in the first place.
The first ballad, Life After You is a really beautiful track. The acoustic guitars twirl around the bass as Chris flirts around with a country tone. It's quite good, believe it or not. If he ever did a country album(as much as I hate that genre), I would so buy it. His voice can make you like anything. I actually think this would be a good single choice for the band...if they ever wanted a ballad to be a single. "All That I'm after is a life full of laughter, as long as I'm laughing with you, I'm thinkin' that all that matters is love ever after." Things switch back when What I Meant To Say comes on. It has a commerical rock sound to it, but it's tweaked a little on how Chris sings on it. Open Up Your Eyes is one of my favorites(there are many by the way). Chris sings this song with so much passion that his tone in his voice switches into something we've never heard before. To describe it, women would want THAT voice around them while men WANT that voice. "Just open up your eyes as I lay you down tonight, safe on the other side, No more tears to cry."
Another ballad, September is a song that flows with country, but has rock mixed in so well that it doesn't come off a country track. Amazing vocals by Chris who just makes this song so well-crafted. Another one of my favorites & a track that many fans will like is Ghost Of Me. It is one of the catchiest tracks off the record. It's fun to sing to because of Chris' demanding & subtle vocals. This also would be a good choice for a single...I can definitely picture this on the radio. "Don't look over your shoulder, cause thats just a ghost of me you're seeing in your dreams...don't wake up & believe them." Another great choice for a single would have to be Learn my Leasson. The song flows so well early on with an easy-going sound & Chris' inspiring vocal work & it doesn't quit either. It's kind of the track that Nickelback would easily put as a single because people can relate to it. It's a good gimmick for Nickelback, but Daughtry is a different story because it's GOOD because of the vocal work, not the message. "You'd think that I'd learn my lesson by now, you'd think that I'd somehow figure out, yeah, well it turns out, I haven't learned a thing."
A track that I think would be a perfect summer song, Supernatural just has this fun, jump-in-the-air vibe going on that it's quite addictive, which I also have to give credit to Chris himself...it's another good choice for a single. Now, the song that I can't seem to like is Tennessee Line. It just drags down the listener as it is a full-blown country track that is hardly fueled by Chris' stretchy & miserable vocals(surprised? Yeah me too). However, Call Your Name makes up for it. It is also another ballad as the previous track; it kind of reminds me of their smash hit, Home. The acoustic guitars flow easily along the violins as Chris' emotional & soft voice stitch it all together. Plus, there is a nice break with an electric guitar solo which is astounding as the sounds grow stronger as Chris wails the lyrics out. "And when you fell apart, am I the reason for your endless sorrow, there's so much to be said...can you hear me when I call your name."
Leave This Town is an epic of a record for Daughtry. It succeeds on so many levels. The band has definitely changed in the last two & a half years since they last left us. The record is definitely different than their debut & it's probably a good thing. If you compare the two, you can tell that the band was restricted & was forced to stay at the "commercial" level. On this record, however, you can tell that the band played a little bit, both instrumentall & vocally. To tell the truth, it comes out extremely well! I really loved their debut album & since I heard this record, I can definitely tell the difference. It seems the band had a much better time recording this album. Also, please, do NOT let that little "country" vibe scare you away! I can't stress this enough...they have no sold out anybody! They are just going to new levels in music since they were constricted on their last album. If you loved or liked their first album, you'll probably like this one & as well as their new sound. Oh, & yes, this album is definitely better than their first!
Track Listing: 1. You Don't Belong 2. No Surprise 3. Everytime You Turn Around 4. Life After You 5. What I Meant To Say 6. Open Up Your Eyes 7. September 8. Ghost of Me 9. Learn My Lesson 10. Supernatural 11. Tennessee Line 12. Call Your Name
Daughtry achieved global success with its self- titled debut, the biggest selling artist release of the past two years and the fastest selling rock de...More at Christianbook.com
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