30 Seconds To Mars
A Beautiful Lie

THE REVIEW

How do you review an album after spending days and days listening to it until you are sick, reaching the most extreme and absurd self-exaltation..? You almost thank yourself for having 'discovered' the work in question. And then, how do you review an album when your head is now filled to the brim with acquired information, personal opinions, imaginary suggestions to dispense (always in an imaginary way) to the band in question, and disgustingly subjective and destructive emotions? Well.. it can be both a complex and easy operation, if you like. Since I don't want to be neither complex nor easy, I will tread the diplomatic path of absolute objectivity.. which means I will walk a fine line to then steer the discussion where I most please until I 'fall disastrously'.. and that's how it goes when you have tastes to debate..

So, what to say about 30 Seconds to Mars? First of all, their late arrival in our beloved country already speaks volumes. The big pop hits never fail to afflict us in a metaphorical stereophonic way. For a long time, everywhere and anyhow. But for rock, things are a bit different. If a band gets good feedback in Europe.. well, then you can be sure they have elbowed their way for quite a while before emerging in this sad valley. That's how it was for this band, let's say, emerging (yes, because if a band is emerging here, it means that in America it's vintage). The first album titled "30 Seconds to Mars" had not 'arrived' in Italy, in more than one sense. So there was a need for the second attempt to realize that the mix is right and can work.

"A Beautiful Lie" is the album to analyze to highlight the true peculiarities and potentials of this band which has quite a few impressive aspects. First of all, one must apply that label required by the music world which is the so-called 'category to which the album belongs'. It's a limiting operation but, avoiding unnecessary loopholes, this is an Alternative Rock that flows into pure Melodic Rock with the tracks like "Was It A Dream?", "The Story" and "A Modern Myth". Putting aside the technical side, which may or may not interest the listener, a strong point lies in the originality of the melodies that fit perfectly with the voice of the frontman Jared Leto. We dare say, the greatest strength. On the first listen of "Attack", the opening track, most people don't stop. They go on and discover, pleasantly, innovative tracks like "The Kill", "The Fantasy" or "From Yesterday", a track emblematic of this versatile and unforced interplay between voice and music. Even for the most, the greatness of a warm, sharp voice capable of breaking the heart ("And I swear to God I found myself in the end") and then reaching unsuspected and fierce tones that, let's say, initially leave one speechless, won't escape notice. But even here the obviousness, which resides in a nice voice, takes a backseat: the true greatness of Jared Leto is his interpretative ability, appreciable only after some careful listens of the entire album. All the tracks have those resemblances of true words, imaginable words that can be placed in a concrete, real discourse ("Cause it feels like we've never been alive inside"). And let's also say this: depth is rare nowadays in music, and if by chance, but really by chance, you come across a good album that won't change the history of music but is well made and with some good messages to convey, why throw it there, in the murky sea of today's music?

Personally though (and here's the 'disastrous fall') the key strength for which I propose a serious listen to the work is this: the surprisingly good textual level, versatile as for personal exegesis and thematic choice. In simple terms, lyrics that are not at all hackneyed and open to any kind of reflection, without predefined mental bars. Therefore, it breaks my heart, but I forgo the track by track, however interesting, to not leave room for my personal and influenceable cogitations. Notable is the cover of "Hunter" (Bjork), an unusual choice for an album of this genre but understandable in relation to a particular and perceivable flair of the band.

And the title? The words lie and believe often recur.. "A Beautiful Lie" is perhaps a reflection on life's contradictions or..? You decide.