The Used
Vulnerable

Nothing to say, by now The Used are losing credibility album after album, especially from longtime fans who worshipped the band's early albums by Bert McCracken, and who now find themselves forced to listen to a triumph of emo rock-easy listening sounds, among keyboards, electronics, fake screams, and easy easy choruses.
Certainly, The Used were less ‘radio-friendly’ before, but in the end, with "Vulnerable," we have the fulfillment of the path that the American combo embarked upon about a decade ago. In simple words, we're talking about the long-awaited album of artistic maturity.

The album opens with the single "I Come Alive," which however, as an opening track, feels quite flat, despite being a good piece. More energetic moments come with the wonderful "This Fire," "Put Me Out," and "Kiss It Goodbye," while the singalong choruses can be found in "Hearts and Faces," "Moving On," and "Shine."

Although "Vulnerable" has its flaws: the ballads present are poorly executed, while some tracks struggle to take off.
In a few words: the first half of the album is excellent, while in the second there are various moments where it's better to let the player skip. Same story as the previous albums of Bert McCracken's band, after all.