Once in a while, a mainstream album comes along that deserves attention from me. Collective Soul are back with their 7th studio album in 13 years. The public stopped paying attention to this band after “Blender” in 2000 and it’s a damn shame. With “Afterwords” Ed Rolland and the band have come full circle back to the sound and style that put them on the map. It’s those big clean hook-filled rock anthems that they did so well in the late 90s. Things kick off with the blistering “New Vibration”, a powerhouse tour de force that is anchored by new drummer Ryan Hoyle and a killer guitar riff. Next up is “What I Can Give You” a catchy tune with layers of guitars, a pounding backbeat, and smooth vocals. “All That I Know” continues the hit parade, and although it’s very good, it’s nothing new for this band. “I Don’t Need Anymore Friends” tries a new vocal here and Joel Kosche does a decent job. “Good Morning After All” has steady rhythm section and inspiring lyrics (“But you swear there’s always hope/Always hope from above/Now everything starts to fall into place”) and it is my favorite track. If you are a Collective Soul fan, tracks like this feel like a favorite pair of comfortable old sneakers. The next track “Hollywood” is a very Cars inspired track – it’s pretty good, but ultimately sounds like a throwaway tribute track. “Adored” and “Georgia Girl” close the album nicely as inspirational ballads. No tunes here are really throwaways (unless you count “Hollywood”). Overall it’s good, solid power pop that isn’t heard much nowadays. Go to the band’s site to hear the whole album streaming.
Collective Soul’s Main Site | My Space | Itunes
Listen to “New Vibration”
Listen to “Hollywood”