Consciousness

I think for most SES fans, we've all been waiting a long while for their next CD, and it's nice to see that they have a tour accompanying their new CD, Consciousness.

I got the CD on the release date (thanks Amazon!), and the album is well put together. Looking through the album art and lyrics, some of the lyrics aren't 100% correct, and there are more than a couple of misspellings as well. But these are small problems, because the true product is what you hear, and that folks -- is as good as you've come to expect SES to be.

Now I'll say it up front -- their best CD was the unreleased Anxiety. And this is no Anxiety, but I think it surpasses Vultures both in lyrical quality and in musical quality. I'm no composer or musician, so I can't tell you that this riff is great, or this chord is smart or intelligent or amazing, but as SES has demonstrated time and time again, that the power of Sean's voice carries the message he's trying to convey through his lyrics.

This is as the title of my review suggests -- the lighter side of SES. There are a lot of "feel good" songs on here, like Stay Alive, or O'Lord, Walking Away, etc. Their sound has become a bit more commercial now, rather than insane yelling that I've come to appreciate, and I don't know if that's a good thing, or a bad thing -- but it's an evolution of a band I listened to since they released their first album, and as my life has personally progressed, I still feel a close bond to the band, their lyrics, and their message.

If you are looking for SES' prior works to be reincarnated in their new CD, then you will be disappointed. This is a more positive CD lyrically, and Sean has a lot of moments of very soft singing (which his voice lends itself well to, surprisingly!), and as a fan from the beginning I am very pleased with it. I rated it 4 stars only because I feel the best review should always be given to their best work, which continues to be Anxiety.

Either way, I think if you appreciate lyrical quality of any kind, then you'll appreciate SES' latest effort, and if your life started similarly to mine and you've had a positive progression through the years, you'll find SES could accompany you as you walked down your path, as they have grown with me, and I find that refreshing for a band that does touch on the "emo" chord, at least they have personal growth and their music reflects that.

Buy the CD. It's good any way you look at it, but I think some fans may not be able to relate if they themselves have not changed.

Though they will never match the power of their first two albums, these guys still have something special going on. To put it simply, the lead single "Don't Ever Leave" is probably one of the best songs of the year and definitely SES's best song of all time. With lyrics that are spiteful, yet curiously passive-aggressive, Sean Danielson goes from smooth singing to aggressive yet melodic screams and back again while tackling a failed relationship with what appears to be an alcoholic mess of a woman. ("I love the way you're spitting in my face, the way you scream when you're breaking all my things, I love the way you put me in my place, don't ever leave me alone.")

There are some low-points, however. Besides the boring instrumental track "Atoll," there's "Compromise," a musically wonderful song, but lyrically the band's cheesiest yet, with the chorus proclaiming "When will you realize, you're now and forever mine, you don't have to run. I won't compromise all that I know is right. You and I are one."

"Walking Away" suffers the same fate, as a hard-driving, aggressive yet emotional track that falls short lyrically. "Faceless," however, breaks this trend with lines like "God only knows the side effects of listening to static on the radio."
"Stay Alive" is a refreshing track as well, providing a positive, uplifting message for those who are having trouble dealing with life and contemplating suicide.

"L.A. River" is a scathing attack against the glitz and glamor appeal of the band's hometown of Los Angles, which, according to Danielson, isn't as glamorous as it appears, with more failed lives and broken dreams than what is usually portrayed. The music and vocal melodies are nearly perfect, with Danielson's chorus scream raw enough, yet still accessible enough to send chills down your spine. "Ban Nuys", a play on the L.A. neighborhood Van Nuys, also speaks
of hometown discontent.

The most surprising track on Consciousness, however, is "O'Lord." If you know anything about SES's catalog, you know that Danielson isn't a big fan of religion or the belief in God. Songs like "Every Sunday," and the controversial "Holes" - which was the catalyst in a massive protest by the religious right that led to the second album being scrapped in 2005 - have featured very anti-Christian lyrics. On "O'Lord" Danielson doesn't appear to have exactly become a saint, praising God, but he does now recognize the existence of a higher power, as well as his own shortcomings over the years, asking for help and forgiveness for his past disbelief and lack of faith, with the lyrics "I've been angry for way too long. God help me get my head on straight. I've been locked in a drunken haze." Most surprising is the line "Booze and broken bones are keeping me down. I need some direction, I need it right now." After "Don't Ever Leave," this is definitely the album's best track.

Though it's a great album, there's no real musical progression here. The band employs the same style as they have throughout their career, which, is refreshing
in an odd sense. So many bands seem to change so much, just TRYING to avoid sounding the same, but what they don't realize is that when you've found the right sound, its not a bad thing to stick with it. These guys have realized it and do a good job holding on to it. However, the song-writing isn't as great as it used to be, with their self-titled debut and unreleased second album Anxiety still towering above it. However, it should be noted that Consciousness is leaps and bounds ahead of their 2006 effort Vultures, which failed to produce more than a handful of memorable tunes.

Great album. You can definatly tell that this band has grown and changed a lot. I love every song on this album and its definatly worth the money if you are a fan of this band. By the way... can somebody tell me but did they turn Christian? From some of their songs its hard to figure out.