II [Enhanced]

The Calling's sound and song-writing have both developed and as a result II is a much more mature album. I was surprised by the subjects that the songs cover; The Calling's songs are about suicide, hope, self-belief which I find refreshing considering that in the UK we are used to cheesy pop songs with stupid meaningless lyrics.

One By One = Could be about a variety of things although I perceived it as being about suicide. Has a great intro and is fantastic rocky start to the album. One of my favourites.

Our Lives = The first single has a very optimistic outlook about living life to the full. Is good to listen to when you need cheering up as it's very positive.

Things Will Go My Way = Possibly my favourite song on the album although it's hard to decide! This song is my equivalent to Stigmatized and Could It Be Any Harder as I can listen to it countless times! Beautiful lyrics and beautiful arrangement as well as fantastic vocals. Love it!

Chasing The Sun = Very catchy, summery song which will get your feet tapping. Probably the only proper 'love song' on the record but still very good.

Believing = Although this isn't as catchy as some of the other songs, Believing is another one of my favourites. The lyrics are so inspiring and Alex's vocals are really touching - made me knees go weak the first time I heard it!

Anything = Another great song. Very catchy with great lyrics and a fantastic rocky 'vibe' to it. The acoustic version is absolutely beautiful too.

If Only = The first time I heard this, I was a bit dubious from the opening seconds but now I love it. A bit of a darker sound maybe but once the chorus kicks in you'll be hooked.

Somebody Out There = Not one of my favourites but still a great song nonetheless. I find the lyrics very intriguing - about faith and God, which makes me appreciate the song even more.

Surrender = Ok, the first time I heard this I actually blushed! Fantastic song, another one of my favourites! Sorry to keep babbling on about the lyrics but they really are fantastic here and the song is mega-catchy.

Dreaming In Red = A very pop/rock song, more poppy than I am used to from TC but is still very catchy although I have no idea what it's about!

Your Hope = Incredible, inspiring, thought-provoking, emotional ... just a few words to describe this song. I think many people will be able to relate to it and it's just beautiful.

For You = Taken from the Daredevil OST, it's not one of their best songs but the acoustic version is great and a nice addition to the album.

London Calling = Was originally done by Clash, a good song, good vocals.

All in all, this album is one of the best albums I've heard in a long time. Although very different from Camino Palmero, it is a fantastic follow up and shows how Alex and Aaron have matured. It may take a few listens for the tracks to grow on you and to properly appreciate how magnificent they are, but once you do you will be blown away. I highly recommend II to everyone who loved Camino Palmero and to everyone who loves good music.

Make no mistake, I am a huge fan of this band, but I fully understand, that like anything in life, the extremely talented Aaron Kamin and Alex Band (and they're keen to plug that there's just two of them this time around) are only human, and as such do have flaws!

If you're looking for another 'Camino Palmero', then 'Two' probably isn't for you. Their debut may not have been released until 2002, but the album was recorded when vocalist Alex Band was a tender 18 years of age, and the majority of the songs were written when the boys were a lot younger. As such, beautiful as the songs may be, they feature a certain degree of the naiivety that all teenagers (including myself) possess. The boys certainly aren't approaching middle-age yet (in fact, they're both still in their 20's), but from the moment you hear the first words of 'Our Lives' (the first single taken from the album), or 'One By One' (the first track on the album) it's apparent that they have matured significantly.

Gone are the idealistic lyrics and relatively simple chords that make up songs pondering about issues such as a lost loved one as in 'Wherever You Will Go', gay marriages as in 'Stigmatized', a past partner you'd rather forget as in 'Adrienne', and beggars as in 'We're Forgiven'. 'Two' is a much more realistic and positive record. If you've heard 'Our Lives' you'll have realised that the boys believe in slowing down long enough to appreciate what you've got, and the rest of the album offers ways to do this and suggests circumstances that are worth remembering for the rest of your life.

My instant favourites are 'Believing', 'Anything', 'Things Will Go My Way', and 'Your Hope'. As with 'Wherever You Will Go' on 'Camino Palmero', I think 'Our Lives' will probably only climb high on my list once I hear it as an album-track rather than a slightly over-played radio single.

'Camino Palmero' features some of my favourite lyrics of all time, and some songs that hold a very special place in my heart, but just as Band and Kamin have come a long way since they wrote those eleven tracks that just about everybody can relate to in some way, I'm a slightly different person too, and appreciate the every-cloud-has-a-silver-lining approach to life that 'Two' offers. While this record recognises that life isn't always easy, especially in 'Somebody Out There' and 'Your Hope', it does provide the inspiring message that you should always believe in yourself and make every moment count. I hope Band and Kamin are listening to their own advice, and enjoying the upcoming success of this truly great disc filled with music.

This UK version features the same two bonus tracks as the 'Our Lives' single: an acoustic version of the song The Calling wrote and recorded for the motion picture Daredevil 'For You', and their cover of The Clash's 'London Calling'. The artwork on the cover may not be as pretty here as in the USA, but the two additional tastes of The Calling's magic certainly make up for it.

As well as all of the above, 'Two' also offers you the opportunity to see what the band's new management has does for them(something tells me he's a bit of a perfectionist), to hear Band playing the keyboard (on 'Believing'), and if you're not an obsessive fan, to hear the voice of Kamin for possibly the first time (on 'Your Hope').

In short: If you loved 'Camino Palmero', then you'll love this because it's even better, and if you didn't, then you'll love it too because it sings a different tune. So click "add to shopping basket" right away and buy 'Two' today!