Evanescence - The Open Door
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Free Music Notes for The Open Door
Free Music Review: Simpatiko tackles on The Open Door.
Hit: 5 Stars
Evanescence are back!!! Yeah! Amy Lee is now in the spotlight more than ever. She has written or had part in writing every track. Ben Moody obviously left a doorway for a lot of change and maturement in our dear Amy's musical expression! This album grew into a beautiful kid and the steps are being made with every new listener.
The Open Door Review:
The album takes time to digest believe me, I got it in October and my opinion has modified with every listen.
This is what it comes up to REALLY:
1. Sweet Sacrifice - Wicked start! Amy sounds as fears as ever! I love the revolving electric guitar sound, really gets my spirits flyin'! "One day I'm gonna forget your name, one sweet day you're gonna drown in my lost pain" How empowering that line sounds! Great album starter. [written by Amy Lee & Terry Balsamo]
2. Call Me When You're Sober - I didn't really like this when I first heard it. Compared to Bring Me To Life it's a week album announcer. After a couple of listens you get some of the hooks, and it is a very cool number. A hard beat and the fact that it's about Seether's frontman, the alcoholic (Shaun Morgan) gets my interest. Amy came out about the whole thing and Shaun checked into rehab. Dirty laundry always makes a mess. What a surprise her giggle at the end was... Amy has changed. Her sisters Carrie and Lori are doing background vocals in the song. [written by Amy Lee & Terry Balsamo]
3. Weight Of The World - My money on the number three horse to win! Great song, I love how the line "Feels like the weight of the world" over the xylophone comes out. Smashing! The beginning is straight up hard, and Amy's voice gives it a lethal injection. Change sets you apart from the person you used to be, and that makes you not allow yourself to be held down. Point taken. This song ranks high because it's totally relatable! [written by Amy Lee & Terry Balsamo]
4. Lithium - Breath-taking! Everything is perfect here, it sounds so familiar, and on first listen it was like a reminiscence of a dream. What a great vocal Amy has, she takes me to the best places with songs like these! I never thought that a drug that treats bipolar disorders could be made into something so moving. The pain described here is beautiful, like someone sucking patches on your skin and then giving you a bite randomly and on repeat all over your body. Amy is in pain with her being in love with the familiar sorrow and not allowing herself to pursue feelings of light. But she's gonna let it go... [written by Amy Lee]
5. Cloud Nine - A ghostly start and a punch line like "If you wanna live, let live" made me think this is gonna be a killer, but its rather boring. I listened to it a few times and it didn't grab me, nothing special in the way she delivered this. I listen to it but than again I mostly skip it. [written by Amy Lee & Terry Balsamo]
6. Snow White Queen - No. 6, I always have high expectations from the No. 6 track on the album because it's my favorite number. This certainly didn't disappoint! Very catchy verse, I like singing it. A kind of song that creeps into you and makes you hum it all day long. I can sing this to my girlfriend `cause we heave this type of relationship, "You belong to me.../All I want is you ". Like Sarah McLachlan's Possession this song is for Amy Lee's stalker fan's. Good one! [written by Amy Lee & Terry Balsamo]
7. Lacrymosa - Violins and a choir raise this song sky-high! She used Mozart's "Requiem" and the relationship worked out great! Lacrymosa is someone in tears, sad and pathetic. Talk about putting the blame and not holding anyone back makes me think this is pointed at Ben Moody, maybe? Amy never says lacrymosa, the choir chants it. The choir is so alike the one in "Anything For You" (Demos 2001-2002). I love how demonic Amy sounds in the stanza "Not this time, I won't lie...", the instrumental enhances the effect! Superbly done! [written by Amy Lee, Terry Balsamo & Wolfgang Mozart]
8. Like You - Get under my skin why don't ya. Love the piano, it's raped in a splendid guitar! Amy tones it a bit down to tell us how she'd like to be cold in the ground, next to her passed away sister. To the end she gets more volatile and picks up on the screaming. A song that sticks after only one listen. I love it when she say's "Hey lo...(Hallo)". [written by Amy Lee]
9. Lose Control - This is so perverted! "If we play very quite my lamb, Mary never has to know", has Amy been naughty? There is something sexual about this song and it's well pulled of. I like hearing this track while I'm in the shower, don't know why... The high point for me is the "U uh, u uh..." and the dull pressing sort of sound when she says "If I cut you down to a thing I can use, I fear there will be nothing good left of you". It has a few nice "hi I'm there" but overall it falls flat. [written by Amy Lee & Terry Balsamo]
10. The Only One - The bit in the very start is like Christina Aguilera's beginning for the "Hurt" video (the circus folk). The song has single potential, it's powerful and I can easily imagine Amy singing this live over huge crowds! I can't really relate to it but it makes out for a great listen. The guitar riffs are crunchy and her vocal is like beer (for me), you just gotta have it straight up cold! I just want to grab her here! [written by Amy Lee & Terry Balsamo]
11. Your Star - I just don't know what is so meaningful here that she decided to put it on the album. Ok the bass is great, the guitar screams alongside her vocal, the piano is like rainfall and even the choir is here! They threw in everything they had and pressed the mix button. I'm like finding Nemo here but "I can't see your star"! The other day I was vacuuming while this song was on and I thought how great this would go in here... It's just a mess. I still listen to it but not often. [written by Amy Lee & Terry Balsamo]
12. All That I'm Living For - Finally! My favorite track! It reminds me of the old Ben Moody - Amy Lee Evanescence. The guitar is mind blowing when the stanza "I believe that dreams are sacred..." starts. How it melts my craving. John LeCompt's department hasn't been slaking. The lyrics are on the notch, meaningful. The song is about coming to turns with your ghosts, understanding the lesson living brand us with. Monster track! I would like this song to start playing out of nowhere at my funeral just to make people see how great living is and to wake up a couple of dozing chaps in the back (...joke). [written by Amy Lee & John LeCompt]
13. Good Enough - For me this is the only true ballad of the album, and I must admit I listen to it so often that I know it by heart. The piano lets of sparks of emotion. After a long intro Amy opens the door to her heart and soul sending chills down my spine. Like "My Immortal" but less haunting and more uplifting. I feel Amy tasted real love and has been completely taken by it. How nice she must have felt, this is like water pouring on my face. Divine. [written by Amy Lee]
14. The Last Song I'm Wasting On You - This song appears on the "Lithium" cd single and it's a very vocally/piano driven song. I like it! It feels like going into a warm tub of water but knowing that the water will cool down over time. Very relaxing, the song just drifts like soap foam. It's about looking back over a dysfunctional relationship (I think Ben Moody...?), and finding your way out with strength and a mature new perspective on things. [written by Amy Lee]
15. Call Me When You're Sober (Acoustic) - This version appears on the "C.M.W.Y.S" cd single. The acoustic version is sooo much better than the original, it's the reason I started likening the original more! After the punch-line versus comes a glorious piano and the vocal delivery you won't believe! Amy is so great live with less production around drowns her. I think the highlights here are apparent and the message is easily received. [written by Amy Lee & Terry Balsamo]
16. All That I'm Living For (Acoustic) - This version appears on the maxi cd of "Lithium". Wow! They should release an acoustic album so all the tracks get their turn. I didn't expect the acoustic of this song to be mellow. It's lighter than the original but it adds so much depth into it! I listen to this everytime I wake up, just like I did with Breathe No More (my all time favorite Ev song). It's a fantastic track and I will love it forever!
17. Angel Of Mine - Ha! This is not an Evanescence song but it sounds very much like Amy singing. Amy has posted on Evboard that it's not her. It's a pretty good song, a ballad like "Good Enough".
Conclusion: There is something missing in the way these songs take off. Ben Moody's departure has taken the edge to which they pushed each other. But still Amy pulled off an amazing album that reflects on her life toil and torment she went through with and after Ben. Parting ways in life is what allows us to experience and see things differently, and after all grow and mature, which is what happened to this band. Cut off a couple of side branches and the tree still grows high and beautiful. But let's not forget that it was Ben who sparked the making of Evanescence, and the songs they first made are really what drew most of us in.
References: If you're just getting into this band a few pointers are in order:
Get their early work like the "Evanescence Ep" [1998] (favorite tracks: So Close, Imaginary); "Sound Asleep Ep" [1999] (favorites: Forgive Me); "Origin" [out of print] (favorites: Anywhere -!amazing song!-, Field Of Innocence, Imaginary, Where Will You Go, Away From Me, Eternal); Demos [2001-2002] (favorites: Breathe No More -!my all time favorite!-, I Must Be Dreaming, Missing, Surrender, Whisper).
As these songs are hard to come by I suggest downloading them over a fan site or a sharing based (torrent) program. The band encourages you to download their previous work as it's very rare. I have most if not all of their songs and will be glad to share the titles and different versions with anybody who writes to me at boyan6ev@yahoo.com
Thanks for the time of day. Enjoy this bands music, there amazing!
Free Music Review: Evanescence: The best grows better.
Hit: 5 Stars
1. SWEET SACRIFICE 4/5
A very strong opening track to set off the whole album. Amy takes a deep breath at the begining of the song to somehow say 'here is my soul, my dark and tormented f**king soul.' I love how she toys with the higher notes of her range and the effects on the vocals only add to the severity of the message being conveyed. Not my number one, but as with all the tracks, it grows on me the more I listen to it.
2. CALL ME WHEN YOU'RE SOBER 3.5/5
This song sticks out on the abum as a whole. On it's own, it functions as a very strong and emotioal entity that spawned one of the coolest music videos to come from Evanescence. The styling of the song is totally different from anything else on the album, and I personally think that it puts forth a strange and inaccurate expectation for people about ToD.
That aside, the music itself it quite wonderful. Amy's strong vocals are very well executed while the rock sound offsets an otherwise blusey arrangement. I found the acoustic version on the single better.
3. WEIGHT OF THE WORLD 5/5
This song totally works every major aspect of Evanescence's music that I have loved since 2003. it sarts with a stunning guitar intro that captivates the metal side of my persona and leads us into the creepy sound of the first line. Amy's octive split vocals offset by the metallic xylophne notes meld to make a very effective and VERY creepy sound. This song simply ROCKS. Deffinitely my 2nd favorite track on the album.
4. LITHIUM 5/5
This type of ballad is what I come to expect from Evanescence. The lyrics take on a mind of their own and completely separate themselves from the instrumental track, until BAM the guitar comes in with power never heard before from this troupe. It sets off an amazing series of events that truly makes for a catchy and hard hitting song. Amy's vocals begin to toy around with long and drawn out notes at the end of the 2nd verse that power through on to the next. A song that had to grow on me. At first, the repitition of the word 'Lithium' bothered me, but now I see it as an important part of the vocals that really hit the message deep within.
5. CLOUD NINE 5/5
The vocals at the beginning/end of this track did not appeal to me at first listen because they felt very cliché. I feel less like that now.
This sounds like it would be a good single to me. It has enough pop in it to carry it through to the masses, and enough individuality to make it hard to become annoying.
Amy sounds kinda Christina Agulera to me at the chorus, which is NOT a bad thing (I kinda like her style), and it's interesting to hear that style mixed with good music and hard hitting lyrics. It gives me the chills.
6. SNOW WHITE QUEEN 4/5
I mut say that I really didn't like SWQ at first listen. It was very strange and bizarre. It grew on me a lot after it got stuck in my head.
The cool chord progression crrates a very aurally satisfying song. The funky instrumental effects throughout it remind me of Fallen's 'Haunted,' retaining an eery vibe that sorta lingers with you on through to the next song.
7. LACRYMOSA 4.5/5
I had this song WAY before I heard the rest of the tracks (like almost a whole week) and it gave me time to listen to it individually a lot. As with CMWYS, it stands alone very well because of it's epic sound. The strings from mozart's piece of the same name are fun and playful and lend themselves beautifully to Amy's sassy vocals. Terry's guitar solo towards the end will forever be one of my favorite moments in Evanescence's music.
When put in with the album as a whole, it stands out to me, almost disrupting the flow, though not nearly as bad as CMWYS. Maybe this will disipate as time goes by, but I somehow doubt it.
8. LIKE YOU 5/5
Disturbing. Plain and simple, this song is miraculously disturbing. The simple guitar part mixed with the piano subtly accentuate Amy's amazing voice. A simple rythm bit mixed in every once in a while satisfy the needed structure to the complex melody.
Truly impressive Vocals from amy. She performs with such emotion that it's impossible not to be moved.
9. LOSE CONTROL 29,000/5
My absolute favorite evanescence song ever, though probably the strangest decision to fade in from the previous track to. The two songs have such different meanings, but the musical simmilarities make for a very pleasing transition.
This sexy track makes for a good soundtrack for some hot love makin'.
Intense music rght here. I can understand why some don't like it for it's unique approach to the lyrics. Though the subject matter stands out like a sore thumb, musically, it fits perfectly on this album.
10. THE ONLY ONE 4/5
I rate this 4/5 because...I have to rate it something...an it isn't my number one favorite song, but I still really enjoy it.
Amazing vocal work from Amy. Hard hitting chord progressions and musical ideas. A true pearl on the album.
11. YOUR STAR 5/5
A very strong track. Makes a very amazing point and lyrically flows the best out of any song on ToD. Starts off light and desolate, but when it explodes, IT EXPLODES with power and eery encouragement. The lines of the chorus are perfectly executed and give me such a chill down my spine.
Another favorite of mine.
12. ALL THAT I'M LIVING FOR 4.5/5
Crazy good song. Maybe one of the poppier songs, I can see it also being a single. It has a certian hard powerful body that just makes me want to hear it on the radio. It fits well with the rest of the album, but would stand on it's own perfectly.
Kudos to John Lecompt for writing such a great song! I always love his work.
13. GOOD ENOUGH 4/5
The intro is AMAZING with the complex and classical string/piano arrangement that flows as easy as a light Brahms lullaby. It leads us into a very positive, and somewhat jazzy song. Though the lyrics are supposed to be happy, it still sounds rips at your heart like a spear.
The subject of the lyrics is makes it a logical end to the album, but it needs...a long outro or something to serve as a satisfying musical conclusion for an album, but the more I listen, the more I get used to it. I guess I was expecting 'Whisper' and got something better and didn't even know it.
The album deffinitely hits hard at my soul, personally, and I just love the music and the people involved.
Deffinitely not my OH MY GOD NUMBER ONE FAVORITE ALBUM OF ALL TIMEEEE ('Fallen' fills that space very nicely), but pretty high up there. Deffinitely top 10, and gaining strength every time I listen to it...
Free Music Review: It grows on you, trust me.
Hit: 5 Stars
Okay, I am like many reviewers, sick of seeing those reviews put up five minutes after someone listened to the first thirty seconds of each song and said to themselves "it doesn't sound like "fallen", oh no! I shall complain and cry to myself!" Yeah. Well, if they listened to each song, while reading the lyrics as the song played, like I did to Fallen the first night I bought it, then they would adore each and every one of these songs like they did to Fallen.
Now, enough with complaints and onward to the review. Here's a basic song by song review, but before I continue: I have read every review here for fun, and in every opinion, there is a different OPINION, which is the point of an opinion. One review said they loved this song yet hated that song, then the next two reviewers hated the first person's loved song and loved the hated song; compare all the reviews, everyone likes and hates different styles of music, and luckily Evanescence has a great many song styles, for everyone to love!
1. Sweet Sacrifice - A catchy tune to have to hear first off the bat. I put it in my CD player in my car and it was hardcore and catchy, a good decision to start off the CD. As I listened to the others later on, I realized it wasn't the best, but it wasn't designed to be the best, it was an attention grabber, and it works. 9/10
2. Call Me When You're Sober - Ah, the beloved "single", which most reviewers argued was overrated. Well, it is like all the other songs, different from Fallen, so get used to it. If you can't deal with this song, you'll have to deal with all the others, as they are all different, which is good. The music video is amazing, by the way. Nice blend in this song, it differs vocally throughout the song, all the way to the end, not being the same like many songs by ANY artist nowadays, just using the same chorus over and over again. 9/10
3. Weight of the World - Didn't care for it at first, but it has grown on me like the others. This is why I am writing the second night after I bought it, I cannot write right after I buy something, it is too prejudice an opinion with so little information. Good heavy song, catchy vocals if you can understand Amy Lee, since she seems to blend words more in this album, perhaps singing too fast, I dunno. 8/10
4. Lithium - One of my favs. I loved the beginning where it appeared to be a piano solo, then suddenly BOOOOOM the rock starts and I was headbanging already. It has acoustics, piano, heavy music, good vocals, and is my seconds favorite song on the CD. It has it all. 11/10
5. Cloud Nine - Sort of haunted vocals and background music and chorus....I didn't like it to begin with and still am iffy about it. I just can't get as used to the anger she sings with in this song, you can feel it in her voice. Not one of the strongest vocal performances at the beginning, but the good part starts after the first minute of haunting music. Just that haunting part takes off a point for me. 7/10
6. Snow White Queen - Most do not know what to think, but I listened to it repeatedly since I love it to death. I always have a rule where I rank my top three favorite songs, and then the rest tie for fourth place since they are so awesome...well, if I DIDN'T do that, this would BE fourth place, it is such a good song. Catchy, especially at the end, and it uses a different sort of tone for the song. 10/10
7. Lacrymosa - My favorite of all! Mix of classical music (violins, woot!) and vocals propell this song. Chorus comes on strong and backs Amy up a lot, which I loved. Then it gets a tad bit hardcore toward the latter half of the song, which I adored totally. Reminded me sort of like Fallen's material, easy to catch the tune and recognize a hit. 12/10
8. Like You - Sort of soft for me. I heard several say it was their favorite, but I didn't think the second half of the CD after Lacrymosa had as good lyrics (and the song titles make me sick, like THIS one). The lyrics are not up to par, in my opinion. 7/10
9. Lose Control - The same ones that said "Like You" was their favorite hated this song. I was one of those that was the opposite, instead favoring this haunting song. It is virtually the same throughout except at the end it picks up, only to end....but there are enough hardcore songs, so it's alright for this one to not rock as hardcore. 9/10
10. The Only One - My absolute third favorite song. This one is as good as the other two favs of mine. It reminds me of my old favorite Ev song, "Missing", where Amy HAD to of recorded herself multiple times to get her voice doing what it does (either that or a backup vocalist sounds like her). Perfect mix of rock, and it SOUNDS EXACTLY like it belongs on Fallen, it has even MORE Fallen quality than Lacrymosa did! - 11/10
11. Your Star - Starts out rather bland, but picks up rapidly, but even though I hate the title, the lyrics are better than a couple of the latter half of the CD's songs. I'll get used to it, but mostly I agree with other reviewers: not up to par with other material on this CD. 7/10
12. All That I'm Living For - Mr. John LeCompt himself wrote this one and helped majorly, and it shows. He rocks the entire song out, and I loved it! It reminded me of Sweet Sacrifice since it begins strong and remains strong throughout, and it would have been a nice opener as well. Even though it's not the last song, I myself like to think Evanescence began with a rocking song and ended with one, since Amy Lee probably just added the last song for the heck of it, since it is so simple. 10/10
13. Good Enough - 10/10 up front. Just another perfect piano piece with miss Lee herself, great vocals, but nothing compares to My Immortal and Breathe No More, in my opinion, but this comes third in the list of Piano solos (actually I think there are only three, but meh it still rocks). 10/10
Buy the CD, it will not disappoint you unless you are already expecting disappointment. Give it a few days to sink it, it's not a clone of Fallen, think of it as a new band's debut CD, if you want to not feel prejudiced over it. Thanks for reading, hope you buy the CD and enjoy it.
Free Music Review: They've definitely Opened their Door!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
Evanescence has promised us a bigger, better album, and this album it shows. They've clearly pushed all of their limits and the used all the talents they could. Amy used her powerful voice much more than on Fallen. The vocal was just utterly amazing and gave the album sort of a dream-like, gothic-powerful, carefree and windy feeling. The lyrics weren't as complicated as the last one but it worked well and, as others say, gets their messages across. And they came out with an album not like any other albums out there, and clearly not like Fallen, just as they've said in previews.
The album does take a little time to get fully use to. Simply because we aren't adapted at hearing different things. Fallen was a success simply because it was something new and different, and a breath of fresh air from other music. And we were fascinated at this "new genre" (of course there are other albums of this genre, they are just not very well known). So now after three years adapting into Fallen, they come out with something else and yes, coming out of Fallen and adapt into this new album- The Open Door, takes a bit of time to get use to. But it still sounds every bit like Evanescence, and that's the most important thing. When I heard this album, my first reaction was the relief that it still sounds very much like them, second reaction was the amazing quality of Amy's vocal and the complications of the sound/background-music mixing.
The thing is, you REALLY have to keep an open mind and give it a bit more chance before throwing the "it's so TERRIBLE" out there. I mean, what do you expect? They are only human, are you expecting they come out SO incredible that it'll terminate all the other albums that ever existed on earth? You already know that they aren't coming out with another Fallen, as Amy repetitively said that it's gonna be a surprise and that it's totally different from Fallen. You may like Fallen better but I can bet that that's because of the first-initial bias, if they came out with this album first and then Fallen, I bet there are gonna be numerous complains about how they became more mainstream, how they became more pop-sounding, how they've "fallen" blah blah blah. Of course, critics will always be critics. But just remember that what is "better" isn't a statement, it's an opinion of acceptation. In fact, I have friends who like Evanescence but haven't heard all of Fallen (basically those people who aren't as adapted into Fallen) have said that they liked this album very much and that it sounded just like them (in fact, they say that they couldn't distinguish The Open Door from Fallen)
However, for myself, there are a few minor things about the album that I find disappointing: Call Me When You're Sober as the first single- I totally get that this is probably the most stand-out song (but then again, that could also be because of the first-initial bias of things, if they came out another song as their fist single things would most likely be different who knows), but if you look at their lyrics from the chorus: "don't cry to me, if you love me, you would be here with me, you love me, confine me, make up your mind!", if you haven't heard their song and didn't know it was an Evanescence song, would you believe it was an Evanescence song? The lyrics from the chorus have bugged me a little, and whenever I hear it I always go (.......) because it sounded more like one of those complaining lyrics like Avril Lavigne's than their soul-bearing, poetic lyrics. I've had no problem with any other of their lyrics on any other songs, just this one. Could be because it's their first single, but the first time I heard it I got the feeling (especially at the end when she sings: "don't lie to me, just get your things, I've made up your mind"). But the first time I heard their other songs I had no problem whatsoever with their lyrics. I didn't like the music video either, it was too overdone and the only good about it was the scenery and costume. The story simply isn't moving, at least not as moving as their previous music videos. And also I tend to like more complex lyrics, which they had more on Fallen, so that I find a tiny bit disappointing, but just a tiny bit, all the lyrics does get their messages across very well so I'm not complaining.
The best thing about this album is that it's very different than anything I've heard before. It's darker, more carefree, better vocal, and it wrote about more variety of things than just plain feeling. That I like. This album also clearly showed that they are growing and that they aren't afraid to try new things. Also, the story of this album did follow up to Fallen, for they build up on top one another in their similarity. For example in WOTW she sings "I won't be held down by who I use to be, she's nothing to me" kind of follow up on Everybody's Fool. And another quite clear example is Like You follow up to Hello in which she talks more about her pain of losing her sister but this time she even formed the thought of suicide in order to join her sister(wonder if she's willing to sing this one on their concerts). Even Good Enough (which btw, isn't really as "happy" as one would think, it's more of a yearning song) kind of followed up to My Immortal when she sings "so take care of what you ask of me, `cause I can't say no"
Another good thing is that the album is 10 minutes longer YAY! `cause I was worrying that they are gonna put in one of those ridiculous interludes to waste the time and space. Thank god they did not waste anything- instead of giving us a break in the middle with slow songs like on Fallen. It was rocking through almost the entire album and then ends with a slow ballet, I really like that.
Overall, this album definitely does not mark their fall or their "evanescence" anytime soon. It is quite an extraordinary album and well worth for fans to own.
Free Music Review: "The Open Door" Paves the Way to Brilliance!
Hit: 5 Stars
Fans of goth rock band Evanescence's break-through album, "Fallen", will not be disappointed in the follow-up album, "The Open Door". Amy Lee's pipes soar higher than ever before on tracks like "Call Me When You're Sober", an assumed reference to former boyfriend Shaun Morgan of Seether fame, and "Sweet Sacrifice", the opening track on the CD. John Lecompt, Rocky Gray and Terry Balsamo do an excellent job of backing up Lee's vocals on this CD with their heavy percussion, guitar riffs that are just as angry as she is, and the electronic binding that ties it all together. The instrumental is more haunting than on "Fallen", more angry and biting and really paints the gothic, dark background that Lee is trying to achieve in her equally darkened lyrics. On this album, Lee writes more personally and intimately, ranging from her love and insecurity towards her soon-to-be husband on "Good Enough", to dealing with the death of her sister on "Like You". This album chronicles the messy, angry and hurt feelings that can occur after a break-up and is most likely Lee's way of dealing with her own. You can definitely take this journey with her, relating to every dark tunnel and murky river she paints before you, and emerge fully blossomed with her at the CD's end. Below is a brief description of each track on the CD, a numeric rating from 1-10, 1 being horrible, 10 being great, and the reasons why you should consider picking up this excellent album.
Track 1: Sweet Sacrifice--(9)--a ferocious track with which to open the album, Lee is calling someone out on being a martyr. They're sitting there crying a river when all they want to do is put her down and break her. The angry guitars and electronic back-up roar behind her, complementing her fury.
Track 2: Call Me When You're Sober--(10)--Lee's vocals on this song are incredible. Here she is basically telling her former lover not to bother waxing poetic because she knows he doesn't really love her or he'd be here with her right now. She's once again calling him out on his BS.
Track 3: Weight of the World--(8)--Lee is trying to free herself of the person she used to be, to escape from her cocoon and be a new, free person without the other person dragging her down all the time by reminding her of her past faults.
Track 4: Lithium--(9)--another track where Lee's voice shines, here she is succumbing to the loneliness, the darkness that comes with separation. She is flirting with desparation, saying that she will forgive her former lover because it's better than being alone, even though she knows better because she straight out admits that he never truly loved her.
Track 5: Cloud Nine--(9)--Lee is reclaiming the sense of self she used to have on this track, telling her former lover that he can leave, live his own life, do whatever she wants. She is going to do what she wants and if she ends up alone, so be it, that was how it was meant to be.
Track 6: Snow White Queen--(5)--one of the weaker songs on the album and an obvious filler, since it doesn't really fit with the whole break-up/fix myself theme of the rest of the album, this track relates Lee's fear of her obsessive fans--the ones that scare her and that she'd rather not have, that say horrible things to her and just want her "love".
Track 7: Lacrymosa--(5)--this track is also a little weaker than the rest of the album but it ties into the theme, with Lee settling down into trying to fix herself and forgive her former lover, telling him that he can blame it all on her if that's what helps him get better.
Track 8: Like You--(6)--a very dark track, almost too dark to enjoy
listening to, Lee deals with the death of her sister and will not feel better until she can lie in the ground like her.
Track 9: Lose Control--(8)--a lighter, naughtier track that provides a bit of relief from the darkness of the start of the album. Feeling her oats as someone who is newly single and free, Lee wants to explore other options and lose control sexually with someone she finds attractive, just to be able to do it just once.
Track 10: The Only One--(6)--oddly, this song starts off with a few sound effects including a duck quack? There is some great percussion sound on this track, though. Here, Lee is telling her former lover that he's not the only one who's miserable and also not the only one at fault. She accepts some responsibility but also states that she will not buy into it and feel like she needs to hold on to him. She will let go and find peace.
Track 11: Your Star--(8)--a strong guitar riff backs up Lee in this song, where she is accepting that she can't be his everything. She needs to find her own way and he needs to become his own person and stop depending on her.
Track 12: All That I'm Living For--(8)--here Lee shows some vulnerability, admitting that she could try to keep running but she'd eventually have to stop and mourn her former love. She is trying hard still though to finally fix herself and to shut the last open door so her ghosts stop coming through and reminding her of her pain.
Track 13: Good Enough--(9)--the beginning of this track was actually a longer instrumental due to be used in the first "Chronicles of Narnia" film. Lee finally feels relief in this track. She has put the other twelve tracks behind her finally and can now accept another's love. She doesn't feel quite good enough yet to be worthy of it, but she can feel herself melting into him. And even though she is waiting for the other shoe to drop, she will meekly begin to accept once again that she can be loved.