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Rating:
The second-to-last musical effort by No Use For A Name (last year the new album "The Feel Good Record Of The Year" was released) confirms the melodic shift in the recent albums of the Sunnydale combo. "Keep Them Confused" is indeed the typical melodic Hardcore album without particular highlights, except for its tendency to relax and too often delve into pop.
The style perhaps recalls the latest Lagwagon and at times that of NOFX.
There is little punk or hc, as one might call it, here: something in "Bullets" (nothing exceptional, however...) characterized by a sharp intro of guitars and final choruses and in "Check for a pulse," a fast-paced track featuring an excellent solo, the best episode and main pillar of the LP.
The launch single "For Fiona" is also noteworthy, where whispered vocal lines alternate with regular singing, featuring a catchy melody that in the vocal interpretation might remind one of some emo groups. Catchy, but damn sure to be a sing-along.
However, the pop-rock moments stand out over time, like the emblematic sweet acoustic ballad "Divine Let You Down." Yet among the saccharine-filled tracks, the slow "Black Box" stands out particularly, at least with an engaging refrain and a well-done solo. And all in all, "It's Tragic" and "Slowly Fading Fast" also make a decent impression.
To all of this, let's add that the initial doublet immediately leaves a bitter taste with two mellow medium-core tracks and that the goodnight and farewell are given to us by a non-transcendental ballad "Overdue" that leaves us unsatisfied.
It is difficult to classify the CD into a specific closed category. The rhythmic base is predominantly melodic hardcore, but the vocals and a good part of the songs are pop-rock, and I add that the guitars are not properly exploited. The only aspect that stands out in this album is surely Tony Sly's beautiful vocal tone, one of the most beautiful voices of the genre. Even more emphasized given the characteristics of the work.
The last note concerns the use of strings and violins that insert themselves into the tracks, adding another layer to the general sound.
In conclusion, the hallmark of this album is perhaps the absence of great “pogo” episodes, instead it is full of overly thin vocal lines that do not encourage one to listen to it entirely. However, in favor of the band, it must be said that despite lightening the sound, the combo has never sold out to a major, going their own way, so this umpteenth chapter of Tony Sly and his associates could be seen as a normal evolution.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 Part Two (03:35)
I hope that I can seem flawless to you
And always take away the pain that you'll go through
My impression is not always what it seems
You're more of a reflection of what I used to be
So why do I feel hollow when I look at your photograph?
You take down my fortress and kill me with a smile
Please hold that thought a while
And I'll try to put you on this path
I hope you find the road I couldn't see
You won't be by yourself
I'll live for your problems and think of you when I'm gone
Don't worry now it won't be long
Once I was you I thought the world was safe
A new perspective; everybody is insane
Protecting you is a paranoid excuse
I know that you'll do better than I could ever do
And thoughts of self-destruction
Are now all buried in the past
You take down my barricade and melt away my heart
If loving hurts so much I want this pain to always last
I hope you pass the test that I have failed
You won't be by yourself
I'll live for your problems and think of you when I'm gone
Don't worry now it won't be long
I apologize to you for the words not spoken yet
Don't want you to look back and live in regret
Some day you'll ask me why I was away
03 For Fiona (02:41)
I Can't even think of words to match the way i'm feeling
I Don't even think a book can say enough for you
I can only try my best to put it in a song
I guess, you try to speak I know you tell the truth
If I could freeze our small amount of time together
then we could make believe this world would never end
Unfortunately truth is cold
So you stay young while I get old
But always know, I'm your best friend
Nothing is the same everything is a better change
sometimes I see silence in your eyes
Let it all crash down, When it ends it begins with you
I'm going to look every time you do
And I'm as scared as anybody who has done this
I would have given up but not defeat
You took my love, turned it a around, you put
my feet back on the ground, I owe you, eternally
Nothing is the same everything is a better change
sometimes I see silence in your eyes
Let it all crash down, When it ends it begins with you
I'm going to look every time you do
I'm always
I'm always
I'm always here
I'm always
I'm always
I'm always here
Nothing is the same everything is a better change
sometimes I see silence in your eyes
Let it all crash down, When it ends it begins with you
I'm going to look every time you do
13 Overdue (03:14)
The flowers have wilted on the sill
And words have been kept so small and still
And yet if the great opinion speaks
Then sadly we nod our heads and agree
Barely a mention of your name
On deaf ears a distant whisper
Whatever, no one gets it
It's already overdue you will not be heard by many now
But I'll always be amazed by every sound your ever made
While building a tolerance to them
You made sorrow sound like a good friend
The well where the poison pen was drawn
The same place you trusted then but was gone
Enemies battled in your mind
Until all the blood shed leaked down
Dried up and rusted the fight
It's already overdue you will not be heard by many now
But I'll always be amazed by every sound you ever made
And since I did not know you, I can only say but a few words
Too bad they won't hear your song that I've been singing all alone
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